Missouri’s suicide rate has risen significantly, climbing nearly 33 percent between 2012 and 2018, with more than 20 out of every 100,000 Missourians dying from intentional self-harm in 2018—a figure 33 percent higher than the national average. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the state overall and the leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults, with rural counties experiencing higher rates than urban areas. Addressing this crisis, the Missouri Institute of Mental Health at the University of Missouri–St. Louis has launched the Gun Suicide Prevention Planning Project to coordinate and expand prevention efforts.
Funded by a $350,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health, the project is being piloted in Butler County (home to Poplar Bluff) and focuses on a multi-layered approach. According to Project Director Katie Ellison, firearms are the most lethal method in the United States and the most common means by which people die in suicide attempts. The project emphasizes that making firearms less accessible during a suicide crisis can buy time for individuals to interrupt those thoughts and seek help.
The initiative brings together diverse community members including health care providers, educators, employers, clergy members, suicide attempt and loss survivors, and LGBTQ individuals through public awareness campaigns. A key component involves training on lethal means reduction, partnering with gun owners and retailers to promote safe storage strategies. Ellison explained: “Responsible gun owners don’t want people dying by suicide. So, it’s getting everyone to buy into this the strategy, this effort to prevent suicide.”
The project coordinates existing evidence-based programs already operating in the region, including the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Zero Suicide Initiative with Family Counseling Center (serving 19 counties) and the Emergency Room Enhancement Program supporting behavioral health emergencies. Major employers in Butler County, including Briggs & Stratton, Gates Corporation, Mid-Continent Steel & Wire, Three Rivers College, local school districts, and regional medical facilities, are being engaged in awareness and training efforts. The grant supports two years of planning with additional potential funding for five years of implementation. Ellison noted that the project has identified six additional nearby counties—Carter, Dunklin, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, and Wayne—for future expansion, with the goal of making this model replicable across Missouri communities.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://blogs.umsl.edu/news/2021/06/07/gun-suicide-prevention-planning-project/