Gun control laws were associated with significantly lower firearm suicide rates in states that enacted them, according to a
study issued today by
JAMA Network Open.
Why It’s Relevant
Because firearms account for more than half of all suicide deaths in the United States, many states have enacted laws to restrict access among high-risk individuals. However, due to a more than 20-year ban on federal funding of gun control research that was only lifted in 2020, the impact of these laws on firearm suicide is unclear.
By the Numbers
- Researchers examined six statewide firearm laws that might affect suicide risk: purchase permits, purchase waiting periods, license requirements for concealed carry, minimum age requirements, extreme risk protection order laws, and gun dealer permit requirements. They then linked these laws to each state’s age-adjusted rate of suicide from 1981 to 2024.
- Three state gun control laws were associated with lower firearm suicide rates: handgun permit laws, waiting periods for purchases, and requirements for a license for concealed carry (at -7%, -13%, and -9%, respectively).
- When all three laws were in place, a state experienced a 25% lower firearm suicide rate compared with states without any of these laws. These associations remained after adjusting for a broad range of demographic, economic, and criminological factors.
What’s More
The average U.S. suicide rate was 13.7 deaths per 100,000 in 2024, with more than half of these deaths (7.9 per 100,000) being firearm-related. However, there was an eight-fold variance in age-adjusted firearm suicide rates across states, from Hawaii at 1.4 deaths per 100,000 to Wyoming at 15.1 deaths per 100,000.
The Other Side
Because this was a cross-sectional study, the researchers couldn’t draw causal conclusions. Due to the study’s limitations, its findings need to be confirmed in subsequent studies, especially those using alternative methodologies.
Takeaway Message
“The findings from this compelling study add to the growing body of empirical evidence on how state-varying firearm access legislation may impact suicide death rates within a short or longer period of time,” Monica Katyal, J.D., M.P.H., wrote in
invited commentary. “Suicide in the US remains a preventable public health tragedy. Clinicians, communities, policymakers, educators, and researchers each have important and intersecting roles in preventing people from taking their lives. The evidence-based work that researchers continue to do … will be critical in these efforts.”
Related Information
Source
Maple Goh, et al. State gun laws and firearm suicide rates. JAMA Network Open. Published April 1, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.3419
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Panuwat Dangsungnoen)