According to the California Department of Public Health, 583 veterans died by suicide in California in 2020, with 3 in 5 of those suicides the result of firearm injuries.
Using data from 2021 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), researchersl share findings from a new fact sheet that examines military veterans' access to firearms and how the firearms are stored (locked or unlocked, loaded or unloaded), as well as mental health status, health and mental health care access, and suicide ideation.
Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Joseph Simonetti, MD, MPH, director of mentorship and education at the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative and assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, will be the featured presenters.
Betz and Simonetti will also discuss implications as well as some policy recommendations to help reduce the risk of suicide or other firearm injuries for both veteran and non-veteran populations.
