Researchers uncovered a close link between gun suicide and homicides in a new multi-decade study from the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center.
The study, published in July in Social Science & Medicine, challenges the assumption that suicide and homicide are separate issues. Researchers found that increases in homicide rates preceded spikes in suicide rates, especially when firearms are involved.
Rutgers researchers examined more than 50 years’ worth of data to determine how that pattern varied by race, guns and whether the impacted communities were urban or rural. They analyzed geographic, homicide and suicide data from the CDC in counties in 48 states between 1968 and 2019.
“Local violence doesn’t only harm the victims — it destabilizes entire communities in ways that increase the risk of suicide,” said Daniel Semenza, Ph.D., director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, in a statement.
“Violence prevention is suicide prevention, added Semenza, the lead author of the study.
The risk of suicide after a homicide is not often covered as a potential consequence. This study provides a strong reference point for reporters seeking to explore the ripple effects of firearm homicides, especially lesser-known impacts.
By understanding these effects, journalists can show that homicides do not happen in a vacuum — they create several consequences for families and communities left to cope after a fatal shooting. These findings also lead to a closer examination of how suicide and homicide are interconnected.
Suicide and homicide are connected
Researchers found the strongest association between increases in homicide and suicide risk in rural communities and among white populations, though Black communities were also affected by the phenomenon.
For white populations, researchers found that for every one-point increase in the firearm homicide rate, there was a 0.73% rise in white people dying by gun suicide. For the Black population, there was a much smaller increase: for the same one-point increase in homicides, there were only 0.02% more suicides.
Across all demographics, researchers noted a one-point increase in a county’s homicide rate predicted a 3.6% rise in suicide rates the following year.
The connection was even stronger for firearm-related deaths: For each one-point rise in the firearm homicide rate, there was a 5.7% increase in firearm suicides, according to the study.
In their study, researchers highlight that communities facing high levels of violence face both the immediate harm of homicides and a future risk of suicide. This challenges the assumption that homicide and suicide are separate public health problems, the researchers added.
Researchers encourage violence prevention strategies to include suicide prevention strategies, with a focus on firearm access, structural inequalities and rural health disparities.
“Interpersonal and self-directed violence are interconnected and should be treated as such,” Semenza said in the release..
Resources
We have covered reporting on suicide in multiple posts, including this tip sheet on best reporting practices, this explainer on red flag laws and stories on the people most vulnerable to suicide, such as rural communities, law enforcement ,military members and Black youth.
Many suicide prevention organizations have compiled recommendations, guidelines and best practices for how to responsibly report about the topic:
- The Suicide Reporting ToolKit provides a three-step model for approaching a story about suicide and sorting out the ethics of reporting on the act. The model provides examples of suicide narratives, a set of ethical rules emphasizing how not to sensationalize or stigmatize it and a standard of moderation for minimizing harm.
- Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide is a collaboration between leading experts in suicide prevention and several international prevention and public health organizations, schools of journalism, media organizations and more. The recommendations are based on more than 50 international studies on suicide contagion.
- The CDC offers a list of general facts and recommendations for reporters covering the topic.
- The 988 Suicide and Crisis Line also provides media resources and best practices.
