The impact of gun violence restraining order laws in the U.S. and firearm suicide among older adults: a longitudinal state-level analysis, 2012\u20132016

Fred J. Zimmerman,Kristen R. Choi,Altaf Saadi,Sae Takada

doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08462-6

Fred J. Zimmerman, Kristen R. Choi + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08462-6

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Abstract

BackgroundOlder adults complete suicide at a disproportionately higher rate compared to the general population, with firearms the most common means of suicide. State gun laws may be a policy remedy. Less is known about Gun Violence Restricting Order (GVRO) laws, which allow for removal of firearms from people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, and their effects on suicide rates among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of state firearm laws with the incidence of firearm, non-firearm-related, and total suicide among older adults, with a focus on GVRO laws.MethodsThis is a longitudinal study of US states using data from 2012 to 2016. The outcome variables were firearm, non-firearm and total suicide rates among older adults. Predictor variables were [1] total number of gun laws to assess for impact of overall firearm legislation at the state level, and [2] GVRO laws.ResultsThe total number of firearm laws, as well as GVRO laws, were negatively associated with firearm-related suicide rate among older adults ages 55–64 and > 65 years-old (p < 0.001). There was a small but significant positive association of total number of firearm laws to non-firearm-related suicide rates and a negative association with total suicide rate. GVRO laws were not significantly associated with non-firearm-related suicide and were negatively associated with total suicide rate.ConclusionStricter firearm legislation, as well as GVRO laws, are protective against firearm-relate suicides among older adults.

Highlights

Older adults complete suicide at a disproportionately higher rate compared to the general population, with firearms the most common means of suicide
With adjustments for sociodemographic covariates, total number of firearm laws remained negatively associated with firearm-related suicide among both age groups, with each additional firearm law associated with a 0.1% decrease in firearm-related suicide (p < 0.001)
We found that states with stricter firearm legislation had lower rates of firearm-relate suicides among older adults

Summary

Introduction

Older adults complete suicide at a disproportionately higher rate compared to the general population, with firearms the most common means of suicide. Less is known about Gun Violence Restricting Order (GVRO) laws, which allow for removal of firearms from people deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, and their effects on suicide rates among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of state firearm laws with the incidence of firearm, non-firearm-related, and total suicide among older adults, with a focus on GVRO laws. In one study examining the impact of state gun laws on both firearm and non-firearm suicides, there was a reduction in firearm suicides but not in nonfirearm suicides in the population as a whole [16]. Fewer studies have looked at the impact of specific subtypes of firearm laws on suicide, universal background checks and violent misdemeanor laws have not been shown to be related to overall suicide rates [17]

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