states with lower gun ownership and stronger gun laws have the lowest suicide rates.

For National Suicide Prevention Week, which is held each year during National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we released our annual analysis of state-by-state suicide rates. Year after year, the analysis reveals that states with lower gun ownership and stronger gun laws have the lowest suicide rates. Conversely, the states with higher gun ownership and weaker gun laws have the highest suicide rates 

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Some might say that gun violence is as American as Apple Pie. This idea is indicated by the fact that there are more guns in the US than people and Americans possess more guns than any other people in the world.

When gun violence occurs the politicians ask for people's "thoughts and prayers," as if thoughts and prayers will address the tragedy that continues to occur in any meaningful way. How about if instead of thoughts a prayers the politicians focus on gun safety laws like we do with automobiles, planes, and the misuse of substances.

The mortality rate from guns in the US is a significant public health problem and until it is managed as such the gun mortality rate is not likely to change.

New York State has the third lowest suicide rate in the U.S.

When I was in graduate school getting my MSW in the early 70s our class was divided into groups and we had to pick a social problem area to research, study, and report on to the whole class. My group picked suicide.

In my career I worked for 18 years as a "psychiatric assignment officer" in 3 large urban hospitals doing mental health and substance abuse evaluations and dispositions. I estimate over those 18 years I did over 14,000 suicide evaluations.

Over my 56 year career I have continued to follow the suicide data and recently found the suicide rate for 2022.

The states with the lowest suicide rates are NJ with 7.7/100,000 followed by MA with 8.3, NY with 8.5, ML with 9.5, and CA with 10.4.

The states with the highest suicide rates are MT with 28.7, AL with 27.6, WY with 25.6, NM with 24.7 and ND with 22.5

It is very interesting that suicide rates vary by as much as 3 - 4 times as much in the highest rate states from the lowest rate states. It is interesting that suicide rates are much higher in red states than in blue states.

Why do you suppose the rates vary so significantly from state to state?

New York State has third lowest suicide rate in the US after New Jersey and Massachussetts.

 Based on recent data, the suicide rate in the United States is significantly higher than the homicide rate.

• Suicide Rate: In 2022, the age-adjusted suicide rate was 14.2 per 100,000 people.

• Homicide Rate: In 2023, the homicide rate was 5.9 per 100,000 people. Other data for 2023 shows a rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people.

In terms of total deaths, there are nearly two times as many suicides as homicides in the U.S. For example, in 2022, there were over 49,400 suicides compared to around 24,800 homicides.

In my career as a Psychiatric Social Worker I have done over 15,000 suicide evaluations most of them as a Psychiatric Assignment Officer in urban hospital emergency rooms.

Suicide rates vary greatly by region and other demographic characteristics. Men kill themselves three times more often than women but women attempt suicide three times more often than men. The reason for the discrepancy between suicide death rates is due to the means of the attempt. Men most often use guns while women use ODs and cutting.

New York State consistently has one of the lowest suicide rates in the United States. While the specific ranking can vary slightly depending on the year and the source of the data, New York is typically in the bottom three alongside states like New Jersey and Massachusetts.

For example, according to data from 2021, New York's suicide rate was 7.9 per 100,000 people, placing it among the lowest rates in the country. This is in stark contrast to states with the highest rates, such as Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska, which often have rates three to four times higher.

Suicide rates seem more influenced by the availability of social infrastructure than any other factor. When people are desperate do they have a place to turn? Is there help for what is distressing them so much that they would rather end their lives than go on living. New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts have much better health and human services than other states.

Texas ranks last in Mental Health Care Among U.S. States

Texas ranks last in mental health care among U.S. states https://t.co/d01tuG1x8U

— NPR Health News (@NPRHealth) June 4, 2022