Prevalence of Adolescents' Access to Guns and Suicide Risk

Almost half of suicides by teens in the U.S. are by firearm. These researchers used interview-based data from 2001 through 2004 to determine prevalence of psychiatric disorders and gun availability in 10,123 U.S. adolescents.

Of the adolescents, 22% met criteria for one lifetime mental disorder, and 29% had two or more, including anxiety disorders (32.5%), behavior disorders (26.8%), mood disorders (16.9%), and substance use disorders (14.1%). One-year prevalence of major depression and bipolar disorder was 7.3% and 5.5%, respectively. Also, 5.8% reported suicidal ideation in the preceding year, and 1.8% reported suicide attempts.

About 30% of respondents reported a firearm (rifle, shotgun, or pistol) in the home, and 40% of this subgroup sai…