The Relationship Between Suicide Prevention and Gun Safety

In this episode, Dr. Michael Anestis, clinical psychologist, and award winning researcher discusses his powerful book, Guns and Suicide: An American Epidemic. Dr. Anestis is not advocating for or against gun ownership. What he is advocating for is prevention of firearm suicides. Funded by the Department of Defense through a program known as the Military Suicide Research Consortium, Michael Anestis collected and will share findings like the fact that each year the majority of gun deaths in the US are suicide deaths – more than homicide, mass shootings or terrorism. He will address the lethality of a gun when there is suicidal thinking and consider myths and theories of suicide including the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (ITS) and the Three Step Theory. Central to his goal, Dr. Anestis will define the use of "means safety" for suicide prevention and the importance of taking a public health approach to firearm suicide prevention.