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Controlling firearms use in Australia: has the 1996 gun law reform produced the decrease in rates of suicide with
Helen Klieve1, Michael Barnes, Diego De Leo
1Australian Institute of Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
|October 8, 2008
Summary
Firearm suicide rates declined before Australia's 1997 National Firearms Agreement (NFA). Legislative changes may not be the primary driver, with social shifts potentially influencing method preference in male suicides.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Criminology
- Sociology
Background:
- Australia's 1997 National Firearms Agreement (NFA) aimed to reduce firearm suicides following the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
- The NFA imposed strict access restrictions on firearms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of legislative firearm restrictions on suicide rates in Queensland.
- To investigate alternative factors contributing to observed declines in firearm suicides.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Queensland Suicide Register (QSR) for male suicides (1990-2004) and national data (1968-2004).
- Employed negative binomial regressions to analyze suicide rate trends pre/post NFA and method selection.
- Conducted cohort analysis of age classes to examine changing method selection patterns in Australian males.
Main Results:
- Firearm suicide reductions in Australia began before the 1997 NFA, with declines noted from 1988.
- No significant rate difference was found in Queensland post-NFA; Australian data showed a significant difference but had quality issues.
- Cohort analysis revealed age-related method selection differences, with younger males showing decreased firearm suicides and increased hanging suicides.
Conclusions:
- Legislative restrictions may not solely explain the observed decrease in firearm suicides.
- Shifting social and cultural attitudes appear to be a significant factor in the change of suicide method preference.
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