Key Takeaways

Senior women are increasingly at risk for gun-related suicide

The proportion of senior women who killed themselves with a gun increased 5 percentage points between 2014 and 2023

Rates among senior men remained stable, but they are 13 times more likely to use a gun in suicide than women

TUESDAY, Aug. 26, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Senior women are becoming more likely to use a gun to end their lives, a new study says.

Firearms are the leading method of suicide among seniors 65 and older, especially men, researchers say. In fact, senior men are 13 times more likely to kill themselves with a gun than senior women.

But suicides by gun are increasing rapidly among older women, according to research published Aug. 25 in JAMA Network Open .

Guns were involved in nearly 40% o

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