Mental Illness, Previous Suicidality, and Access to Guns in the United States

doi:10.1176/appi.ps.59.2.198

Psychiatr Serv 59:198-200, February 2008
doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.59.2.198
© 2008 American Psychiatric Association



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Brief Report

Mental Illness, Previous Suicidality, and Access to Guns in the United States

Mark A. Ilgen, Ph.D., Kara Zivin, Ph.D., Ryan J. McCammon, A.B. and Marcia Valenstein, M.D.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between mentaldisorders, prior suicidality, and access to guns and gun safetyin the U.S. population. METHODS: Using data from adult participants(N=5,692) from the National Comorbidity Survey: Replication(NCS-R), this study examined relationships between mental disorders,past suicidality, and gun access and safety practices. RESULTS:Individuals with lifetime mental disorders (N=3,528) were aslikely as those without (N=2,034) to have access to a gun (34.1%versus 36.3%; odds ratio [OR]=.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]=.8–1.1),carry a gun (4.8% versus 5.0%; OR=1.0, CI=.7–1.40), orstore a gun in an unsafe manner (6.2% versus 7.3%; OR=.9, CI=.5–1.4).However, individuals with a prior suicide attempt were lesslikely than those without such an attempt to have access toa gun (23.8% versus 36.0%; OR=.6, CI=.5–.8). CONCLUSIONS:Given the previously established relationship between mentalhealth risk factors and suicide, this study highlights the needto assess for gun access among high-risk individuals.

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