Firearm suicide is a major public health concern in the United States, yet many individuals who die by firearm suicide have never connected with mental health care. Our team at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center set out to understand which firearm owners are receiving therapy or psychiatric medication — and who isn’t receiving care. These findings were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Using data from over 3,000 adults with firearm access across the U.S., we examined how factors like age, gender, race, education, employment, and suicidal thoughts influence whether someone is getting mental health treatment.
The findings show that firearm owners who were younger, female, more educated, and had a history of suicidal thoughts were more likely to be in therapy or taking psychiatric medication. Meanwhile, those who identified as a race other than White or were employed were less likely to be receiving medication.
These results reveal important trends:
- Women were significantly more likely than men to seek mental health care. This is in line with broader research showing that men are less likely to pursue therapy or medication, often due to stigma or cultural messages about toughness and self-reliance. For firearm-owning men, these beliefs may be even stronger. Because men are also more likely to own firearms and to die by firearm suicide, reaching them outside of mental health settings — through barbershops, gun ranges, or veteran groups — is important for reducing rates of firearm suicide.
- There were racial and ethnic disparities. White firearm owners were more likely to take psychiatric medication compared to firearm owners who identified as a race other than white. This aligns with existing evidence that people of color often face greater barriers to care, including stigma, cost, lack of culturally competent providers, and previous negative experiences within the healthcare system. These challenges can make it harder to access or stay engaged in treatment, even when support is needed.
- Firearm owners who had experienced suicidal thoughts were more likely to be connected with care — an encouraging finding. But it’s important to note that most people who die by firearm suicide never seek mental health services. This means prevention efforts must also reach individuals outside of the healthcare system, including through community partnerships and safe storage initiatives.
Overall, our findings highlight that while some firearm owners are engaging in mental health care, those at the highest risk for firearm suicide are often not. Expanding access to culturally informed, community-based mental health support could help reduce firearm suicide rates.