Do you realize how stupid that sounds? I mean, yes, it makes sense that would be the most common form of suicide, quick and painless, but that like saying all gun owners are suicidal. Me owning a gun doesn't increase my likelihood to die, it's just that using a gun is easier than other options when someone does commit suicide, and it makes sense the number of people doing this is so high when you consider anywhere from 10-30% of America's are diagnosed with depression, and close to half of Americans own a gun.

[–] naevaTheRat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 7 months ago

There is an element of ease of access to suicide methods that influence attempt likelihood and success but it's very hard to determine whether someone would choose a different method or stop. Or if they would just show up as a death of despair down the line.

[–] lady_scarecrow@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Except neither study is talking about the most the most common form of suicide. They're both reporting higher rates of suicide among gun owners.

Me owning a gun doesn’t increase my likelihood to die

That's literally what both studies are saying. From the first one:

Men who owned handguns were eight times more likely than men who didn’t to die of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Women who owned handguns were more than 35 times more likely than women who didn't to kill themselves with a gun.

From the second one:

in Wyoming, where 63 percent of households reported owning guns—rates of suicide were higher. The inverse was also true: where gun ownership was less common, suicide rates were also lower.

Also from the second source,

Studies show that most attempters act on impulse, in moments of panic or despair. Once the acute feelings ease, 90 percent do not go on to die by suicide.

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Then I wonder how many people have access to rope and why hanging doesn't dominate the statistic.

[–] NIB@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

If you dont know how to hang yourself(it's actually kinda hard), your death will be extremely painful and it will take a long time. Shooting yourself is one of the most effective, immediate and painless ways of killing yourself.

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

A gun doesn't magically kill. It simply makes a hole in the place that is shot. The person might die from having a hole in the body.

It's messy, it hurts and it takes a while to die from.

There's a reason why death sentences aren't done using guns.

[–] NIB@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Bullets dont create holes. Once inside, they spin and/or deform, causing a lot more damage than a bullet sized hole. Apparently, when your brain is fucked this much, it is over. Of course it doesnt always work perfectly but more often than not, it does. It is by far the most effective way of killing yourself.

The reason death sentences arent done using guns because aiming and shooting at people is hard and has psychological repercussions for the shooters. Even when executions were done by bullet, you had a lot of shooters so that noone had to bare the killing responsibility.

[–] Toribor@corndog.social 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

People who want to kill themselves and don't have access to a gun sometimes just give up and decide to live instead. Suicidal thoughts are not always persistent, they are fleeting. Having easy access to a gun is just another way to turn a temporary feeling into a permanent choice. It doesn't make you more likely to commit suicide, but it does make it more likely that a suicidal ideation turns into a suicidal action.