[Clear connection between gun ownership and suicide. 92 per cent of attempts result in death]

In a retrospective study involving 20 police districts in Sweden, 348 completed or attempted suicides with firearms were found to have occurred during the period, 1976-88. Statistics on civilian firearms ownership were obtained from police authorities. Firearm suicide was found to be significantly correlated to gun ownership, through the 25 per cent increase in gun ownership during the period was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in the overall suicide rate. The head was the primary target in suicide attempts, both with longarms (rifles and shotguns) and with handguns (pistols and revolvers). Handgun injuries were more common among the survivors. Only 4.6 per cent of the victims survived and could be discharged from hospital. Nearly 10 per cent of those using shotguns or rifles used a string, a rod or their toes to reach the trigger; all of them died. Apart from such well-known predisposing factors such as psychiatric disorders or alcohol abuse that were present in 43 per cent of cases, 24 per cent of the victims were found to have had somatic problems instead.