Red Flag Laws Prevent Suicides

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) can be an effective suicide prevention tool, according to a study published online Aug. 20 in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Jeffrey W. Swanson, Ph.D., from the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, and colleagues assessed the effectiveness of ERPO laws. The analysis included records from 4,583 ERPO respondents in California, Connecticut, Maryland, and Washington.

The researchers found that two evidence-based approaches yielded estimates of 17 and 23 ERPOs needed to prevent one suicide. Among a subset of 2,850 ERPO respondents with documented suicide concern, corresponding estimates were 13 and 18 to prevent one suicide.

"Even if we reduce many of the things that motivate people to injurious behavior, we still live in a society where people have easy access to technology designed to kill efficiently," Swanson said in a statement. "Addressing access to firearms for people who are at risk of harming themselves or others is an evidence-based approach that can save lives."

Abstract/Full Text