Firearm Access and Suicide Risk Among Young Adults
This research explores how firearm access influences suicide-related outcomes in young adults, with attention to demographic, household and geographic variations. Findings will inform harm-reduction strategies and guide future studies on the intersection of firearms, mental health and suicide prevention among diverse populations.
Abstract
Suicide is a leading cause of death among young people in the U.S. with notable disparities among sexual and gender minority youth and youth of color. Removing access to firearms among young adults can significantly reduce risks for suicide in this population. However, little research has explored demographic variation in firearm access and associated mental health outcomes among young adults, which can identify subgroups at greater risk for suicide. This study examines the relationship between firearm access and suicide-related outcomes in a nationally representative sample of young adults ages 18 to 29 (N = 1,077). Specifically, this study explores demographic (e.g., race, gender identity, sexual orientation), household (e.g., size, housing type), and geographic (e.g., urbanicity, region) variation in firearm access and the role of contextual risk (e.g., youth violence exposure, substance misuse) and protective (e.g., social support) factors associated with mental health symptoms. Findings will be translated for violence prevention and harm-reduction strategies among young adults and used to develop an R01 study to further disentangle relationships among risk and protective factors, firearms, and mental health outcomes, centering variation based on race, gender identity, and sexual orientation across stages of the life course.