State Mental Health Hospital of Chania, Crete, Greece Department of Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
Crisis. 2010;31(1):43-52. doi: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000006.
Whereas firearm suicide mortality has been a longstanding public concern worldwide, in Greece no systematic analysis has been reported so far despite the recent evidence of a rising rate of gun ownership.
To estimate the proportion of firearm suicides on the island of Crete, Southern Greece, well-known for its widespread gun ownership; to describe the victims' sociodemographic profile and firearm-related suicide variables; and to assess the severity of suicidal intention in the group.
Records of suicides between 1999 and 2007 were reviewed and information was extracted into a computerized database. A rating of the circumstances section of the Beck's Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) for each case was also performed.
The firearm suicide rate was 1.3 per 100,000, with males constituting the vast majority. These men were more likely to be less than 55 years of age, to have lived in the western part of the island, to have some degree of planning prior to the suicidal act, and to have used a shotgun, but less likely to have left a note.
As an important first step toward implementing preventive initiatives the authors stress the need for a thorough look at the sociocultural factors associated with firearms in the region.
尽管枪支拥有率最近有所上升，但在希腊，全球范围内由来已久的公众关注的枪支自杀死亡率问题，迄今尚未有系统的分析报道。
评估希腊克里特岛（以广泛的枪支拥有而闻名）的枪支自杀比例；描述受害者的社会人口统计学特征和与枪支自杀相关的变量；并评估该群体自杀意图的严重程度。
对 1999 年至 2007 年期间的自杀记录进行了审查，并将信息提取到计算机数据库中。还对每个案例的贝克自杀意念量表（SIS）的情况部分进行了评分。
枪支自杀率为每 10 万人 1.3 人，绝大多数为男性。这些男性更年轻（小于 55 岁），更有可能居住在岛屿的西部，在自杀行为之前有一定程度的计划，并且更有可能使用猎枪，但不太可能留下遗言。
作为实施预防措施的重要第一步，作者强调需要深入研究该地区与枪支相关的社会文化因素。
