Wyoming has nation's highest gun suicide rate by older adults
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Wyoming leads the nation on a list no one wants to be on: It has more gun suicides per capita among older adults than any other state.
The Gun Violence Data Hub examined firearm suicide rates and found across the country, they are the highest among people 70 years of age and older.
Aaron Mendelson, data journalist with the publication The Trace and the Gun Violence Data Hub, said there is not just one reason behind the trend.
"There's no one thing but we're talking about factors like severe physical illness, pain, financial pressures, isolation, often the death of a spouse, a lack of mental health care," Mendelson outlined. "And the availability of firearms."
The study examined data from 2009 to 2023. It found Wyoming's rate of gun-related suicide is 29 per 100,000 population among older adults. Nevada's and Montana's rates were second and third.
Mendelson added older people are more likely to use a gun to take their own lives and this method is most prevalent among white men in rural areas. He pointed out it may be happening more often in Western states because of what he calls a "frontier" or "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" attitude.
"Maybe that serves people when they're younger, but that can be a really challenging mentality to take into later life, especially as maybe your social circle is shrinking," Mendelson observed. "And if mental and physical health becomes more acute, there are challenges there."
He added nationally, the age group's suicide rate has doubled in the last 20 years. Experts said the wide availability of guns also contributes to a "quiet crisis" which is not being widely discussed. Mendelson hopes sharing the information will help change it.
"If we don't identify something as a problem, we can't begin to fix it," Mendelson emphasized. "I think it's important to talk about it."
If you are in crisis or know someone who is, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
