Washington State Debuts Unique Tool to Reduce Gun Suicides

In Utah, the Northeastern Counseling Center had a booth at a local gun show to give away gun safety devices and provide information on suicide prevention. The booth, which has made a few stops at public events, is just one response to the alarmingly high suicide rates in northeastern Utah. It’s part of a larger, statewide shift that includes legislation to create programs that respond to mental health concerns and bolsters firearm safety.

Around the country, a dozen states have passed “red flag” gun laws. These laws allow officials to temporarily take away legally owned guns from individuals who are deemed either at-risk of suicide, or a danger to others. Colorado is the most recent state to introduce a similar law to legislation, and if passed would allow law enforcement to initially seize guns for 14 days while a judge hears the case.

Red flag laws allow family members, law enforcement officers, and sometimes even health care workers to file an extreme risk protection order when they’re concerned that someone with access to a gun may harm themselves or others. In Maryland, which is considered a national leader in this type of legislation, a red flag law has helped prevent potential school shootings and the state is now focused on training health care providers to recognize concerning cases and file petitions when necessary.

Almost half of U.S. states guarantee citizens’ rights to petition for ballot measures, but the coronavirus made gathering signatures in person infeasible. Massachusetts courts allowed electronic signatures, but other states have not approved virtual citizen initiative campaigns. Ballot initiatives allow citizens to advance solutions and enact structural changes without relying on support from elected officials. MA groups used DocuSign to gather 30,000 signatures to get a proposal for ranked choice voting on the ballot. Not all MA groups were able to quickly or successfully pivot to the e-signature process.

Following a mass shooting in Aurora, IL, lawmakers are introducing legislation that could make it harder for guns to be obtained by those who shouldn’t have them. The legislation proposes requiring fingerprints prior to obtaining a concealed carry license – allowing agencies to conduct more accurate and thorough background checks.

France, Italy, Germany, and now the U.S. are passing “anti-stress” laws, which make it illegal or harder for workers to receive emails after work. Research shows that when employees expect to be contacted after work through email, their levels of anxiety and stress go up. "I think this will lessen a lot of the anxiety that goes with having a job in the city and allow people to draw their own lines about when work ends."

Teen Line operates a peer-to-peer mental health hotline where trained teenage volunteers provide support to other teens struggling with stress, depression, relationships, and suicidal thoughts. High school volunteers have been completing rigorous 3-month training in active listening, crisis response, and emotional regulation as part of this program since 1980. Over 40+ years of operation, Teen Line has logged 10,000+ annual contacts with a 98% caller satisfaction rate.

Over the past several years, Lithuania has implemented a comprehensive national strategy to combat high suicide rates by shifting from a medicalized approach to community-based support. One such strategy is Sidabrinė Linija, or Silver Line, a nonprofit offering free support to isolated seniors by matching them with a “befriender” who shares some of their interests. Since its inception, Silver Line has befriended 6,000 seniors. As a result of combined efforts from multiple initiatives, Lithuania’s suicide rate has dropped from 44 per 100,000 residents in 2004 to 19.5 per 100,000 today.

Shingle Springs’ Health and Wellness Center provide culturally relevant mental health care to tribal citizens and Native people, making care more accessible, comfortable and effective for those who need it. The Center has about 40,000 visits a year and 8,000 consistent patients.

Outback Mind operates community-based, peer-led men's circles across rural and regional Australia where local men facilitate regular gatherings that teach emotional literacy and create safe spaces for men to express emotions. Last year, up to 2,500 men attended these circles and reported feeling more capable of processing emotions they’d previously ignore.