Suicide rates tend to be higher in American regions where a higher percentage of households have guns, say researchers. More people kill themselves using guns than by all other suicide methods combined, according to Dr. Matthew Miller and his colleagues at America's Harvard School of Public Health.
While this study does not show that owning a gun increases the likelihood that household members will try to kill themselves, the authors note, the findings do suggest that a relationship between the two factors exists. Each year, an estimated 30,000 people commit suicide in America. More than half of suicides involve firearms, say researchers. They found that in all 50 states and nine US regions, suicide rates were highest where a higher percentage of households owned guns. Miller says that one of the highest rates of suicide using firearms occurred among children between five and 14 years old.
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