1 In 5 Suicidal U.s. Youths Have Guns In Their Home

[News_Editor]

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- Nearly one in five American children and teens found to be at risk for suicide report that there are guns in their homes, and fifteen percent of those have access to both the guns and the bullets, according to the results of a study released on Monday.

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 10 and 24, and nearly half of them were carried out with the use of a firearm. It results in approximately 4,600 deaths each year.

Researchers from the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) presented Monday the results of a study which sought to create a suicide risk screening tool that health care professionals in emergency departments (EDs) could use to figure out which youths need further mental health evaluation to keep them from harming themselves.

"For more than 1.5 million adolescents, the ED is their primary point of contact with the health care system, which makes the ED an important place for identifying youth at risk for suicide," said Stephen Teach, associate chief in the Division of Emergency Medicine at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and the co-author of the study.

Researchers asked youths between the ages of 10 and 21 about access to guns in or around their home and whether they had access to both the guns and bullets.

The results showed 29 percent of participants were found to be at risk for suicide, of which 17 percent reported that guns were being kept in their homes. Of those at risk for suicide and reporting guns in their home, 31 percent said they knew how to access the guns, 31 percent knew how to access the bullets, and 15 percent knew how to access both the guns and the bullets.

"This study highlights the importance of parents understanding the risks of having guns in their homes," said co-author and youth suicide expert Jeffrey Bridge, principal investigator at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "Being at risk for suicide and having access to firearms is a volatile mix. These conversations need to take place in the ED with families of children at risk for suicide."

Lisa Horowitz, staff scientist/pediatric psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health, said many clinicians and parents do not know how to ask youth about suicide and said they require screening tools to assist in detection. "According to our data, when asked their opinion, nearly all of the kids in our study were in favor of suicide screening in the ED. Our study shows that if you ask kids directly about suicide, they will tell you what they are thinking," she said.
(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)

[geriatrickid]

I wonder if the NRA position on this is that other household members should be armed so that they can shoot the suicidal teen if he he/she tries to use the gun to commit suicide.

[F430murci]

Or suicide by cops like the video if this guy caught on dash cam whipping out his AK-47 and opening fire on a cop car. I guess he thought he was not speeding and undeserving if that ticket.

http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2013/05/06/news/doc5187bfa493d9b922946472.txt?mobredir=false

Edited May 7, 2013 by F430murci

[lomatopo]

I think the NRA's position, along with that of the firearms manufacturers, would be that four out five of households with troubled children and teens should purchase firearms; one for each family member so they can defend themselves and nip any potential problems in the bud, so to speak. Failing that, each home with a troubled child should have an armed guard.

[Sing_Sling]

They should all move in with Wayne LaPierre and the NRA CEO (not Porter, the one before), who keeps a very low profile, preferring LaPierre to stay in the headlines

[Mosha]

"31 percent knew how to access the bullets, and 15 percent knew how to access both the guns and the bullets."

[Felipesed]

The CDC is not an unbiased organisation. It is very anti-firearms ownership, and deliberately distorts figures to suit its own ends.

How about another obvious statistic:

100% of suicidal youths have access to a knife in their homes.

100% of suicidal youths have access to a rope in their homes.

100% of suicidal youth know how to find their nearest railway line.

I would think that many would also be able to find a bridge near them.

You anti-gunners really need to do a bit better in your crusade to ban firearms ownership.

[Steely Dan]

I guess the youths would miraculously cease to be suicidal if the guns were removed and would be damn near euphoric if any tranquilizers and ropes were also removed from their homes.

[Scott]

An inflammatory post and replies have been removed. Please stay on topic.

[Scott]

There are young people who are very impulsive and might just grab a gun and shoot themselves, but the majority of young people who are contemplating suicide do think the process out a bit. Having/not having access to a gun is probably not the pivotal factor. If it were, then I suspect that Japan would have a lot lower suicide rate. That said, a prudent parent with a young person who is at risk of suicide might want to seriously consider where their gun and ammunition is stored and who has access.

The US long ago began dismantling the mental health system that might be available to help troubled youth. There isn't much left of hospital social work programs or school social work programs for youth. Of course, a lot of kids at risk aren't in school in the first place.

[F430murci]

There are young people who are very impulsive and might just grab a gun and shoot themselves, but the majority of young people who are contemplating suicide do think the process out a bit. Having/not having access to a gun is probably not the pivotal factor. If it were, then I suspect that Japan would have a lot lower suicide rate. That said, a prudent parent with a young person who is at risk of suicide might want to seriously consider where their gun and ammunition is stored and who has access.

The US long ago began dismantling the mental health system that might be available to help troubled youth. There isn't much left of hospital social work programs or school social work programs for youth. Of course, a lot of kids at risk aren't in school in the first place.

I would be more concerned about unstable suicidal person deciding to use gun to take out others before himself. Suicide by knife, cmon. Only the most desperate would chose that route as most don't want a slow painful death. Perhaps Japan would have 2X the current suicide rate if guns were more available.

Maybe you are right. We should just got back to olden golden days of involuntary commitments, shock treatments, blood letting, leeches and lobotomies. Forget trying drugs, 8 hour outpatient therapy days, and other means to return people to their families and try to return them to a normal way of life.

Edited May 7, 2013 by F430murci

[SeaVisionBurma]

A further inflammatory post has been removed

[NeverSure]

Did anyone actually bother to check the teen suicide rates in other countries, including those which don't freely allow guns? Link

Or is this just another biased attack on the US?

Japan's teen suicide rate is almost double that of the US, for instance. Judas Priest.

Japan has the most stringent gun control in the civilized world.

Who gives birth to these idiots that somehow missed out on the evolution from stupid apes?

[NeverSure]

How can these biased people know whether it was suicide or an accident? Who gives them their figures?

In my 60+ years of living in an area where guns are prevalent and laws relaxed, I know of no teenager who ever killed himself with a gun. None.

I know of three teen suicides in all of my life. One slit her wrists in the bathtub, one hanged himself in the garage, and one jumped off a high bridge onto some rocks.

I also know of three attempts at what's called "suicide by cop." That's where someone wants the police to do the job for them. They raise a ruckus, get the cops on site, and then point a gun at the cops. Maybe they even shoot to miss, but the police are forced to shoot them in self defense.

In two of those cases, the perps survived. They were shot and rushed to a hospital where they recovered just fine. The other died.

That's about one instance every ten years of my life, and all well publicized in the papers. In no case did a teenager use a gun on himself. I've never heard of it.

I do know of two other deaths which were hunting accidents, not deliberate killings of anyone.

But, if you have an agenda, you can make figures lie.

[jbrain]

Did anyone actually bother to check the teen suicide rates in other countries, including those which don't freely allow guns? Link

Or is this just another biased attack on the US?

Japan's teen suicide rate is almost double that of the US, for instance. Judas Priest.

Japan has the most stringent gun control in the civilized world.

Who gives birth to these idiots that somehow missed out on the evolution from stupid apes?

The reason that Japan has such high suicide rates is for a completely different reason as having access to a weapon of any kind.

Same reason why suicide rates are high in most Asian countries.

[Jingthing]

I have an agenda. Gun violence including suicides is out of control in America. It's a disgrace. The main culprit is: the NRA.

[F430murci]

Did anyone actually bother to check the teen suicide rates in other countries, including those which don't freely allow guns? Link

Or is this just another biased attack on the US?

Japan's teen suicide rate is almost double that of the US, for instance. Judas Priest.

Japan has the most stringent gun control in the civilized world.

Who gives birth to these idiots that somehow missed out on the evolution from stupid apes?

The reason that Japan has such high suicide rates is for a completely different reason as having access to a weapon of any kind.

Same reason why suicide rates are high in most Asian countries.

Yep. Sounds like mental health system in America is pretty good after all. Strike that excuse from the NRA's blame game list.

In all seriousness, I would think the mental health issue cut back in US seems to be more focused on Medcaid cut backs. That would include a lot of homeless, elderly and people living below poverty line. We actually have a great mental health system provided you have insurance, money or are not getting slashed by sequester cuts to Medicare or Medicaid.

Are their any statistics to support that a high percentage of teen suicides involved teens from families below the poverty line with no access to any health care? I actually think these children would be covered by various state provided coverage for children.

I would be willing to wager that a high percentage of teen suicides come from middle class to wealthy families. These children seem to have more pressures placed upon them both socially and educationally.

Edited May 7, 2013 by F430murci

[Loptr]

I wonder if the NRA position on this is that other household members should be armed so that they can shoot the suicidal teen if he he/she tries to use the gun to commit suicide.

I got a call from one of my nephews last night. His 16 year old daughter's best friend hung herself on Sunday evening. She did it in her bedroom while her parents were down stairs at the time. The girl never displayed any depressed behavior to her best friends from school. No one knows why she did it.

The point is, you don't have to have a gun if you want to harm yourself. So I don't think I need to tell you where you can put your pithy comment.

[Loptr]

Suicide rate jumps in US.

America’s suicide rate has increased markedly over the past decade for middle aged Americans. The biggest jump has occurred among white Americans, whose suicide rate per 100,000 population rose from 15.9 in 1999 to 22.3 in 2010.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/02/America-suicide-rate-jumps

Edited May 7, 2013 by Loptr

[F430murci]

Suicide rate jumps in US.

America’s suicide rate has increased markedly over the past decade for middle aged Americans. The biggest jump has occurred among white Americans, whose suicide rate per 100,000 population rose from 15.9 in 1999 to 22.3 in 2010.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/05/02/America-suicide-rate-jumps

I am pretty sure white and Native Americans have always comrpised the largest percentage of suicides. Native Americans also have high rates of depression and alcohol abuse.

I have heard that the extremely wealthy are prone to suicide as class standing, education and social pressures are very much tied to their entire life identity. I will say my children go to a very high pressure, acedemically and socially challeneging, private school. I was a public school brat and never, ever encountered the social and academic pressures my children confront. I felt extremely sorry for them even around 4th grade as they would get stressed and cry if they left their assignment or their computer at school and could not complete their homework. I never had that kind of pressure in high school.

It is just damn tough to be a child these days. Children are very clickish. The world is getting extremely competitive. My girls scored 31 and 32 on ACT first time and one continued to take it 3 more time until she got the score she wanted. The other is just a junior, but she needs a 34 for where she wants to go. I took it once after a hard night of partying and no one back in my day took it multiple times just to get 1 or 2 points higher.

Candidly, those pressures, right or wrong and good or bad, are just not as prevelant to students looking to cruise through highschool, get into a State University, have fun and party. If college is not even in the future, I would say there is even less pressure felt by teenagers.

RE: Means of commission

The comments about knifes and etc is pretty lame. Knife injuries comprise what about .000001 percent of all suicides of children betwen 10 and 24. Girls ingest something or hang themselves and boys typically blow their brains out with handguns, although girls second favorite method is guns.

At least with methods other than guns, there is a chance that a child who made a rash decision could still survive or survive with out horrible deformities, get control of their life and live a wonder existence.

Edited May 7, 2013 by F430murci

[lomatopo]

I wonder if the NRA position on this is that other household members should be armed so that they can shoot the suicidal teen if he he/she tries to use the gun to commit suicide.

I got a call from one of my nephews last night. His 16 year old daughter's best friend hung herself on Sunday evening. She did it in her bedroom while her parents were down stairs at the time. The girl never displayed any depressed behavior to her best friends from school. No one knows why she did it.

The point is, you don't have to have a gun if you want to harm yourself. So I don't think I need to tell you where you can put your pithy comment.

Correct, as the article mentions only half of teen/minor suicides in the U.S. involve firearms. I agree, where does it stop? They can never take my rope from me.

Clearly, as pointed out by Glenn Beck in his two hour NRA keynote address this week, this is just Obama and Bloomberg using any means necessary, including the CDC, to propagate disinformation so they can take our guns away.

Our Founding Fathers wanted every person to have a gun. OK, maybe not black people; they can have 60% of a gun, and maybe not women, and maybe only white landowners, and maybe they wanted them kept in a central armory. Oh who cares what the Founding Fathers meant, I need my guns.

[Mosha]

I wonder if the NRA position on this is that other household members should be armed so that they can shoot the suicidal teen if he he/she tries to use the gun to commit suicide.

I got a call from one of my nephews last night. His 16 year old daughter's best friend hung herself on Sunday evening. She did it in her bedroom while her parents were down stairs at the time. The girl never displayed any depressed behavior to her best friends from school. No one knows why she did it.

The point is, you don't have to have a gun if you want to harm yourself. So I don't think I need to tell you where you can put your pithy comment.

If they are desperate enough they will find away. A workmate managed by hanging himself from a door knob.

[uptheos]

There are young people who are very impulsive and might just grab a gun and shoot themselves, but the majority of young people who are contemplating suicide do think the process out a bit. Having/not having access to a gun is probably not the pivotal factor. If it were, then I suspect that Japan would have a lot lower suicide rate.

Indeed, the most common methods of suicide in Japan are jumping in front of trains, leaping off high places, hanging and overdosing. I agree that if guns were available, they would probably be used quite often, probably on impulse.

Hari Kari seems not so popular anymore.

[F430murci]

OP states that 1 in 5 teens at risk fir suicide have gun in there home and only 15% of that number have access to both guns and the bullets. Guns however comprise about 50% of teen suicides even though only about 3% of teens have access to both the guns and bullets in their home. The % is low because young girls don't typically shoot themselves. Young guys do resort to guns for suicide in a much higher percent than girls.

If every family had guns and 100% of suicidal teens, not 3%, had access to both guns and bullets in the home, I am afraid the number of successful teen suicides would be much higher and percentage using guns would be much higher than 50%.

People use guns because they thunk it will be quick. I actually think many using guns may nit actually commit suicide if a gun was not available due to concerns about a long drawn out painful death. True, many will find a way no matter what, but I think that is a small percentage. A lot of suicides are situational rash decisions that might have never occurred if a quick means such as a gun was not available.

[Morden]

The article in the OP is clumsy in that it opens the door to the any-gun-anywhere-any-person brigade to once more indulge in diversionary arguments.

The main reason for the present US gun debate is that there is a seemingly endless series of gun massacres in a country where gun ownership is very common but safe gun care is less so. During the debate, people from the remainder of the Western world look on incredulous as many Americans stick their heads in the sand, denying that there is a problem or that anything needs to be done.

I am increasingly convinced that the US is losing touch with reality. I'm not sure which is the greater sign of social sickness, the perceived need to walk around ready to kill someone or the denial that there is a problem.

[Credo]

The article in the OP is clumsy in that it opens the door to the any-gun-anywhere-any-person brigade to once more indulge in diversionary arguments.

The main reason for the present US gun debate is that there is a seemingly endless series of gun massacres in a country where gun ownership is very common but safe gun care is less so. During the debate, people from the remainder of the Western world look on incredulous as many Americans stick their heads in the sand, denying that there is a problem or that anything needs to be done.

I am increasingly convinced that the US is losing touch with reality. I'm not sure which is the greater sign of social sickness, the perceived need to walk around ready to kill someone or the denial that there is a problem.

You question whether Americans have lost touch with reality. You, on the other hand, don't seem to have a grasp on reality. The reality is that the US has always had a large number of firearms. This is not a new or novel situation.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. This topic is not about homicide rates.

[Sing_Sling]

The article in the OP is clumsy in that it opens the door to the any-gun-anywhere-any-person brigade to once more indulge in diversionary arguments.

The main reason for the present US gun debate is that there is a seemingly endless series of gun massacres in a country where gun ownership is very common but safe gun care is less so. During the debate, people from the remainder of the Western world look on incredulous as many Americans stick their heads in the sand, denying that there is a problem or that anything needs to be done.

I am increasingly convinced that the US is losing touch with reality. I'm not sure which is the greater sign of social sickness, the perceived need to walk around ready to kill someone or the denial that there is a problem.

You question whether Americans have lost touch with reality. You, on the other hand, don't seem to have a grasp on reality. The reality is that the US has always had a large number of firearms. This is not a new or novel situation.

You clearly missed the point, yet find it necessary to justify your star-spangled-banner position again and again and again.

I am not sure if any comparative studies have been made - gruesome as it would be - on weapons availability . . . but then I guess it can't really due to the obvious lack of guns in pretty much any western country

[Credo]

I think you miss the point. I am not a gun-toting, star-spangled-banner, nationalist. I am actually for gun control. But to think that people are some how out of touch with reality is completely wrong. The country has a very, very long history of being awash with guns. It is a reality of life.

So, since you are accusing me of justifying my position again and again and again...you might want to cut some of the emotive posting and actually read what people are posting.

There have been a lot of studies about suicide, but there is probably room for more.

[trompelemonde]

The suicide rate in Japan is very high, but this is not really that surprising. I'd suggest that it is often seen as an honourable way out in a society for which 'shame' is such a serious issue.

There may also be the fact that the Japanese in taking their cue from Buddhism/Confucism don't stigmatize suicide victims such as they would in, say, a Roman Catholic country.

The suicide rates for the USA seem to correlate with many Western European countries, which is what you might expect.