General Medical, Mental Health, and Demographic Risk Factors Associated With Suicide by Firearm Compared With Other Means.OBJECTIVE
 To better understand groups of patients at risk of suicide in medical settings, the authors compared demographic and clinical risk factors between patients who died by suicide by using firearms or other means with matched patients who did not die by suicide (control group).


 The association between suicide by firearm or other means and medical record information on demographic characteristics, general medical disorders, and mental disorders was assessed.


 Fifteen general medical disorders were associated with statistically significant (p<.001) greater odds of suicide by other means, with particularly high odds for TBI (OR=7.74), epilepsy (OR=3.28), HIV/AIDS (OR=6.03), and migraine (OR=3.17).


 When suicide risk is detected, counseling on reducing access to lethal means should include both firearms and other means for at-risk groups.
THERM