Use of army weapons and private firearms for suicide and homicide in the region of Basel, Switzerland.
OBJECTIVE
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of firearm suicides in the world. International studies show a positive correlation between the rate of households with guns and femicides with guns. Because its defense system requires a militia to keep personal firearms at home, Switzerland has a high rate of households with a gun.


METHODS
Records of suicides in the region of Basel between 1992 and 1996 were reviewed. Suicides with either army weapons or private firearms and suicides by other means were compared. Methods and types of homicides that occurred in the region at the same time were also analyzed.


RESULTS
Firearm suicides were clearly the most frequent means of suicide. They were also used in 30.0% of domestic homicides, although other means were used at similar rates. Firearms for suicide were mainly used by men, especially army weapons. These men were younger, professionally better qualified, and fewer had ever been treated in one of the local state psychiatric services.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of firearms for suicide, rather than homicide, and particularly of army weapons by young, well-educated men, requires more attention in debates and informed policy regarding access to firearms and suicide prevention in Switzerland.
Frei
A
A
Luzerner Psychiatrie, Switzerland. andreas.frei@ksl.ch
Han
A
A
Weiss
M G
MG
Dittmann
V
V
Ajdacic-Gross
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D006708:Homicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D010067:Ownership; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology