FIREARM SUICIDES AND HOMICIDES IN THE UNITED-STATES - REGIONAL VARIATIONS AND PATTERNS OF GUN OWNERSHIP

Among industrialized countries, the United States has the highest rate s of firearm suicide and homicide, as well as the highest rate of gun ownership. The present study compares the differential impact of gun a vailability on firearm suicides and homicides in the U.S. Using data f rom the NCHS Mortality Detail Files (1989-1991), the 1990 U.S. census population estimates, and the General Social Surveys (1989-1991) for n ine geographic divisions, we computed rates of firearm and non-firearm suicides and homicides as well as rates of gun ownership for four gen der-race groups. We tested the strength of the associations between gu n availability and firearm suicide and homicide rates by computing the Spearman correlation coefficients. To help elucidate the role of meth od substitution, we conducted similar analyses on non-firearm suicide and homicide. The results show that gun ownership has a stronger impac t on firearm suicides than homicides. These findings held up after str atifying by gender and race. The study suggests that reducing the aggr egate level of gun availability may decrease the risk of firearm-relat ed deaths. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.