Why is the suicide rate higher in rural areas?
According to available national data, rural areas in the US do have higher suicide rates than urban areas. The rate of depression does not appear to be higher, nor are suicide attempts more prevalent. One hypothesis might be that people are more likely to die from their attempts because of their remoteness from emergency medical care. Household gun ownership is more prevalent in rural households and firearms have a higher fatality rate than other methods, leaving little to no opportunity for rescue. Studies that have examined the link between household gun ownership and suicide rates, even when controlling for other factors related to suicide, have found a relationship between gun availability and suicide rates. Easy access to guns is only one factor and further research is necessary to fully understand both the risk and protective factors for suicide in each state.
