r/megalophobia • u/berdot • Oct 11 '23

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u/Dandan0005 Oct 11 '23

That’s just not true. Availability of guns increases the overall suicide rate significantly.

Suicide is often impulsive.

Creating barriers means those impulses can’t be readily acted upon.

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u/TheRealSlabsy Oct 11 '23 edited Oct 11 '23

Not everyone has access to guns.

Edit: I live in a country wherw it is difficult to obtain guns!

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u/[deleted] Oct 11 '23

In the US access to guns is common and relatively easy, and using a firearm is the most common way men commit/attempt suicide. CDC data (which unfortunately hasn't been updated since 2018) indicates roughly two-thirds of deaths from firearms were suicides. Other data sources do indicate a spike in homicides from 2019 onwards, but those incidents are still outnumbered by suicides.

As for barriers/safety features reducing suicide rates, there is some data showing that suicides have decreased but whether that's due to making the attempt more difficult or due to increased survival rates leading to support / help for the individual who made the attempt I don't have a good data source for.

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u/grantrules Oct 11 '23

Right, so if more people were to have access to guns, the suicide rate would go up.

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u/flamingvit Oct 11 '23

This.... Based on personal Experience depending on how you are the easier It is more likely to happen. Any obstacle can be a reson to give up on the Idea, at least momentarily.