Suicide rates are significantly higher in rural areas compared to urban areas in the United States because of several reasons. One of the main reason for the disparity in suicide rates between rural areas and urban areas is due to increased use of guns in rural areas in which people who can easily access guns commit suicide quickly and easily compared to those without guns (Nestadt, Triplett, Fowler & Mojtabai, 2017). Rural areas have been found to own a higher number of firearms in which 51 percent of rural people own a gun compared to 25 percent of urban people (Morin, 2014). Most people with suicidal thoughts act on their thoughts within one hour after having them where the absence of a firearm nearby prevents people from acting on their suicidal impulses or turn to other less-lethal techniques that have a higher survival chance while the presence of a gun makes committing suicide quicker with a very low possibility of survival chance.
Low number of economic and social support services in rural areas compared to urban locations also contribute to this phenomenon in which rural areas have higher poverty levels and are more isolated due to low population densities and the absence of public transportation, which in turn lead to limited access to mental health professionals (Kegler, Stone & Holland, 2017). The number of primary care professionals is also lower in rural areas, which increases wait times for appointments while increasing suicide risk, particularly when combined with the opioid epidemic that disproportionately affects the rural locations.
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References
Kegler, S. R., Stone, D. M., & Holland, K. M. (2017). Trends in suicide by level of urbanization—United States, 1999–2015. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report , 66 (10), 270.
Morin, R. (2014). The demographics and politics of gun-owning households. Pew Research Center .
Nestadt, P. S., Triplett, P., Fowler, D. R., & Mojtabai, R. (2017). Urban–Rural differences in suicide in the state of Maryland: the role of firearms. American journal of public health , 107 (10), 1548-1553.
