Study highlights gaps in firearm suicide prevention among women
Just under 4 in 10 women who died by firearm suicide had no documented history of mental or physical health problems in a new study, highlighting a need for prevention strategies tailored to at-risk women.
The findings come at a time when suicides have been on the rise, alongside a surge in gun ownership — especially among women, said lead author Laura Prater, an assistant professor in The Ohio State University College of Public Health.
In the last two decades, firearm deaths in the U.S., including those involving suicide, increased by almost 50%. Women historically made up 10 to 20% of new gun owners, a percentage ...