Researchers Spot Shifts in Firearm Suicide Risk and Seeking Treatment After 2020 Purchasing Surge

A Rutgers professor tracks changing demographics and low mental health treatment engagement among those who died by gun suicide after 2020

Individuals who died by firearm suicide following the 2020 firearm purchasing surge were more likely to be from racial minority groups, had higher rates of suicidal ideation and were less likely to have engaged in mental health treatment prior to their death, according to Rutgers University researchers.

Their study, published in Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, examined demographic characteristics, previous suicidality and treatment-seeking behaviors among firearm suicide decedents before and after the 2020 surge in firearm purchases.

"Those who died by firearm suicide after 2020 were more likely to be Black, Asian or from another racial background, and less likely to have received mental health or substance use treatment at any point in their lives," said Allison E. Bond, an assistant professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health at the Rutgers School of Public Health and the lead author of the study.

Firearms are the most lethal method of suicide, accounting for more than half of suicide deaths in the United States. Despite this, low rates of individuals who die by firearm suicide engage with mental health services, limiting opportunities for prevention and intervention efforts.

To better understand how the 2020 firearm purchasing surge may have influenced suicide, researchers analyzed data from the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2003 to 2021, comparing individuals who died by firearm suicide before 2020 with those who died post-2020 (2020-2021).

The researchers found several key differences. Individuals who died post-2020 had higher rates of documented suicidal ideation but were less likely to disclose suicidal thoughts or plans before to their death. They also were less likely to be receiving mental health or substance use treatment throughout their life or at the time of death.

"These findings are concerning because they suggest that the people who are dying by firearm suicide are increasingly disconnected from traditional mental health care systems," Bond said.

Messages about secure firearm storage and suicide prevention need to reach people where they are, in their communities, not just in mental health care.

Allison E. Bond

Assistant Professor, Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers School of Public Health

The study also found notable demographic shifts. Compared with pre-2020 decedents, those who died after 2020 were more likely to be younger, male and from racial minority groups, including Black and Asian individuals. These shifts may reflect broader changes in firearm ownership since the 2020 firearm purchasing surge, as well as the disproportionate stressors experienced by these communities.

Researchers said the findings highlight important gaps in suicide prevention strategies, which often rely on individuals engaging with mental health care systems to receive support and counseling on safe firearm storage.

"If individuals at risk are not accessing mental health care, then prevention efforts that happen solely in clinical spaces will miss a large portion of those at risk," Bond said.

The researchers emphasized the need to expand suicide prevention efforts beyond conventional health care settings. This includes increasing community-based prevention efforts, promoting secure firearm storage practices and developing culturally informed approaches to reach populations that may face barriers to care.

"Messages about secure firearm storage and suicide prevention need to reach people where they are, in their communities, not just in mental health care," Bond said.

She added that future research should continue to explore how changes in firearm ownership and broader societal factors influence suicide risk as well as identify effective strategies for reaching individuals who aren't engaged in treatment.

Michael Anestis, executive director, New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, co-authored the study.

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