[TheeBadOne]

Originally posted by fabsroman
TBO,

I understand that guns are taken when somebody says they are suicidal. My point was that if somebody is suicidal, they have plenty of other means to accomplish their death. So, why are guns taken, but nothing else? I think I might know the answer, but I want to see what your response is.

I have already answered you.

When dealing with a suicide threat several things are accessed.

1- Threat

2- Method

3- Access


ie: Someone ways they want to die. When asked how they intend to, they say "I don't know, I just don't want to live anymore".

In that scenario, they have said they don't want to live, or even that they intend to kill themselves, but are missing a articulable/realistic method.

Same as if they said "I won't eat for a month", or "I"ll walk barefoot to the gas station (wintertime) and freeze to death".
Again, no real plan, and no immediacy.

Someone says they want to die, and plan on using a gun. When asked if they have a gun they say no. When asked how they'd get one they say "I don't know (doesn't own guns, doesn't know anyone who does that would lend one)"- lesser threat due to no access/immediacy.

Now, someone who says "I want to die RIGHT now! I have XYX to do it with (and they do 'access'), now that raises the threat to an entire level.

Firearm suicide threats- the medical field tells us to take these very seriously if they have made that threat and have access to it. This is from experiance. If a person pops pills, guess what, they are going down for an eval and all their pills are taken away.

So, that being said, if a party has threatened to kill them-self with a firearm and they have access to it, and the threat is credible, they are going to have the firearm separated from them (safekeeping) as well as being brought in for an eval.

Fabs, what training/experience do you have in this area. What suicide studies are you referencing? I'd be happy to delve deeper into this, but for the purpose of this thread I think I've covered what you've asked.

TBO