Impact of State Firearm Regulations on Suicide Mortality Rates

Claire Tomlinson

ctomlin1@unca.edu

POLITICAL SCIENCE

This study aims to answer the question why some states have higher rates of suicide, specifically by firearms, than others. I argue that state firearm policies that reduce overall firearm availability are the most effective at lowering suicide by firearm rates, as access to firearms increases a person’s risk of suicide. Thus, gun regulation differences amongst states can explain the extreme variation of firearm suicide mortality rates. I hypothesize that state open carry and concealed carry regulations do not have a significant impact on lowering suicide by firearm death rates, that no purchase after violent offense policies have a moderate impact on lowering suicide by firearm death rates, that state waiting period regulations have a significant effect on lowering suicide by firearm death rates, and lastly that that extreme risk laws are state firearm policies have a significant effect on lowering suicide by firearm death rates. Through three separate regression analysis, I find that two of my hypotheses were strongly supported: waiting period and extreme risk laws have a negative effect on suicide by firearm rates. My hypothesis that open carry regulations have no effect on state firearm suicide rates was not strongly supported, as the effect in my regression analysis was negative. No Purchase After Violent Offense laws ended up having the largest effect on lowering state suicide mortality rates, while I predicted it would have the most minimal impact.

May-16-2024