Linking Public Safety And Public Health Data For Firearm Suicide Prevention In Utah

In Utah, a state with a high rate of gun ownership, the shared concerns of diverse stakeholders generated bipartisan support for a state-funded study that tracked patterns of firearm suicide. The study linked sensitive public health and public safety data and identified opportunities for firearm suicide prevention. Findings reported to the state legislature included the proportion of suicide decedents who could have passed a background check for legal firearm possession at their time of death, had a permit to carry a concealed firearm, or had been seen in the hospital for a previous suicide attempt or self-harm. Within six months of the report's release, the legislature, health care and religious groups, and state agencies had launched diverse, major initiatives to reduce firearm suicide that were informed by the report's findings. We present the Utah experience as a case study in bringing diverse stakeholders-particularly gun owners-together to find common ground on firearm suicide prevention and in using linked data to support and guide their efforts.