Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2002 Mar;53(3):332-4.
doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.53.3.332.

Firearm-related suicide among young african-american males

Affiliations

Firearm-related suicide among young african-american males

Sean Joe et al. Psychiatr Serv. 2002 Mar.

Abstract

National trends in firearm-related suicides among African-American and white males in the age groups 15 to 19 years and 20 to 24 years from 1979 to 1997 were examined. The rates and percentages of suicide by firearms increased significantly more among African-American males than among white males. During the 19-year period, firearms accounted for about 70 percent and 64 percent of all suicides among males aged 15 to 19 years and 20 to 24 years, respectively. The results support the Surgeon General's 1999 call for greater awareness of the suicide risk among African-American males.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, 1999. Washington, DC: US Public Health Service; 2000.
    1. Murphy SL. Hyattsville, Md: National Center for Health Statistics; 2000. Deaths: Final Data for 1998: National Vital Statistics Reports 48, no 11. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Suicide among African-American youths: United States, 1980–1995. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports. 1998;47:193–196. - PubMed
    1. Gibbs JT. African-American suicide: a cultural paradox. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. 1997;27:68–79. - PubMed
    1. Kaplan MS, Geling O. Firearm suicides and homicides in the United States: regional variations and patterns of gun ownership. Social Science and Medicine. 1998;46:1227–1233. - PubMed