Public perceptions of suicide, homicide frequency often incorrect
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* Julia Haskins

Most Americans do not know that suicide, often involving firearms, is twice as prevalent as homicide in the U.S.

A study published in October in the *Annals of Internal Medicine* found that most people in the U.S. could not identify the most most common cause of violent death in their state. From 2014 to 2015, suicide was more common than homicide in every state, a fact that most respondents answered incorrectly.

According to research from Everytown for Gun Safety, firearm suicide takes the lives of almost 22,000 Americans each year. Further, suicide by firearm accounts for the majority of both gun deaths and suicide in the U.S.

Study participants were asked to rank the order and frequency of four types of violent death in their state in an average year: homicide with a gun, homicide with a weapon other than a gun, suicide with a gun and suicide by a method other than a gun. In 29 states, suicide by firearm was the most frequent cause of violent death. It was also more common than homicide by firearm in all but three states: Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey.

Just under 14 percent of U.S. adults correctly identified the most frequent cause of violent death, including only 20 percent of health care professionals. Correct identification did not change based on whether respondents owned firearms.

“The relative frequencies that respondents reported didn’t match up with the state’s data when we compared them to vital statistics,” said lead study author Erin Morgan, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health, in a news release.

If people do not understand the risks they face as they pertain to violent death, they could put themselves in danger, the researchers said. For example, people who believe that they are at higher risk of homicide than suicide may purchase firearms for self-protection, but fail to safely store their firearms.

“The inconsistency between the true causes and what the public perceives to be frequent causes of death indicates a gap in knowledge and a place where additional education can be helpful,” Morgan said.

News and entertainment media also have a role in accurately portraying causes of violent death in the U.S., as they have contributed to the public’s perception of causes of violent death, according to researchers.

“By having mass media and other communication mechanisms enable further discussions of suicide, we, as a society, can have a more informed conversation about suicide prevention,” Morgan said.

For more information, visit [http://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2711392/public-perceptions-firearm-non-firearm-related-violent-death-united-states](http://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2711392/public-perceptions-firearm-non-firearm-related-violent-death-united-states).

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association