 
gun violence
— a mental health problem When we think about deaths from guns, the focus tends to be on homicides. But the problem of gun suicide is inescapable: More than 60% of people in America who die from guns die by suicide.
 
PROBLEM
There are 20,000 gun suicides in the United States every year, more than 50 every single day. That’s more than half of all suicides and two-thirds of all gun deaths. These tragedies rarely make the news, or prompt action from lawmakers, but they add up to a national tragedy of staggering proportions.
https://www.bradycampaign.org/sites/default/files/TruthAboutSuicideGuns.pdf
STATISTICS
A number of factors can influence an individual’s choice of suicide method. However, the ready availability of and the individual’s familiarity with a suicide method have been shown to be particularly important factors in the decision. The vast majority — 90% — of people who attempt suicide and survive do not go on to die by suicide. Suicide attempts with a gun, however, rarely afford a second chance.
Fatal and Nonfatal Suicide Attempts by Method (5 year) 4% 1%
2%
1%
2%
21%
16%
Fatal Suicide Attempts
Nonfatal Suicide Attempts
51%
55%
22% 25% 1%
Firearm
Suffocation
Poisoning
Fall
Cutting
Other
https://www.bradycampaign.org/sites/default/files/TruthAboutSuicideGuns.pdf
STATISTICS
Although some suicide attempts are carefully planned, many are impulsive. Various studies of survivors of suicide have calculated that as many as two-thirds of those who reported suicidal behaviour did not plan their attempt. Interviews with survivors of near-lethal suicide attempts revealed that a quarter made the attempt less than five minutes after making the decision. About half of those did so within 20 minutes, and three-quarters of suicide attempts occurred within an hour.
Time Elapsed between Decision and Suicide Attempt
Less than 5 minutes
Less than 20 minutes
Within an hour
24%
48%
71%
Percentage of attempters
https://www.bradycampaign.org/sites/default/files/TruthAboutSuicideGuns.pdf
 
STATISTICS
Compared with the other most commonly used suicide methods, firearm suicides are the most fatal. Firearms make death a much more likely result for a suicide attempt: 85 to 91% of firearm suicide attempts are fatal. Women attempt suicide up to three times more often than men but have significantly lower rates of suicide death. Men are four times more likely than women to die by suicide — this result is obtained because guns are the suicide method of choice for men.
Suicide Deaths by Method (5 year) Firearm
Suffocation
Poisoning
Fall
Cutting
Other
56% 26% Male Suicides
11% 2% 2% 3% 31% 24%
Female Suicides
36% 3% 2% 5% 0%
1,500%
3,000%
4,500%
6,000%
https://www.bradycampaign.org/sites/default/files/TruthAboutSuicideGuns.pdf
INTERVIEWS QUESTION
Understanding the complexities of gun violence, how can we design for prevention — for those most at risk?


INTERVIEWS
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/guns-suicide/
DEMOGRAPHIC
Largely overlooked — 74% of suicides by firearms — are amongst white males aged 65 years and older. This demographic makes up one of the largest percentage of firearm owners in the United States. The high prevalence of gun ownership is of particular concern for older Americans since they are at increased risk for suicide and most likely to use a firearm to kill themselves.
https://www.bradycampaign.org/sites/default/files/TruthAboutSuicideGuns.pdf
 
DEMOGRAPHIC
Many older adults struggle with chronic health conditions that affect their quality of life. Decreased health and physical condition often leads to feelings of hopelessness, which can trigger suicidal behaviour. Firearms pose a particular risk to older Americans whose mental clarity is often affected by the side effects of medication or dementia. In particular, Americans with dementia often experience confusion, anxiety, aggressiveness, and paranoia. Of those experiencing dementia, 40 to 60% live in a home with a firearm.
https://www.bradycampaign.org/sites/default/files/TruthAboutSuicideGuns.pdf
BRIEF
WEARABLES
Leveraging the insights and flexibility of wearable technology, how can we design for prevention amongst older Americans?
TECHNOLOGIES
+ SENSORS The galvanic skin response (GSR) refers to changes in sweat gland activity that are reflective of the intensity of our emotional state. Our level of emotional arousal changes in response to the environment we’re in — if something is threatening, joyful, or otherwise emotionally relevant, then the subsequent change in emotional response that we experience also increases eccrine sweat gland activity. Skin conductance is not under conscious control. Instead, it is modulated autonomously by sympathetic activity which drives aspects of human behaviour, as well as cognitive and emotional states. Skin conductance therefore offers direct insights into autonomous emotional regulation.
https://imotions.com/blog/gsr/
 
TECHNOLOGIES
+ ACTUATORS An actuator is a device that actuates or moves something — using energy to provide motion or to apply a force. An actuating textile containing torsional or tensile polymer fiber and polymer yarn actuators (artificial muscle yarns) can change porosity, shape, texture, and colour when exposed to a stimulus. These new muscles provide fast, high-stroke, torsional and tensile actuation and can be sewn, woven, or knitted into textiles and braids that actuate to either change porosity or accomplish external mechanical work.
https://www.products.slb.com/valves/valve-academy/how-does-it-work-actuators
TECHNOLOGIES
+ SMART FABRICS Smart fabrics are the driving force behind a future of healthcare that is remote, mobile, personalized and connected. Using biomarkers from our bodies — we can proactively understand and address issues related to our health. Twisting carbon nanotube fibres into elastic yarn — a rechargeable zincion battery is shaped — churning out power when bent, stretched, washed with water, and even cut. By coating one piece of yarn with zinc to make an anode and another with manganese dioxide to serve as a cathode — the resulting yarn battery has an energy density of 53.8 milliwatt-hours per cubic centimetre — three times as much as commercial thin-film lithium-ion batteries, and retaining over 98% of its capacity after 500 recharging cycles.
https://www.mouser.ca/applications/healthcare-may-reside-in-smart-clothing/
TECHNOLOGIES
+ DEEP PRESSURE Everyone has a natural need for safety, security and comfort. Think of the effect of a firm hug when you are upset or the swaddling of restless babies. Deep pressure has a direct influence on the amygdala and a regulatory effect on sensory processing — reducing the overwhelming effect of the stimuli received — helping calm and soothe an over-stimulated or anxious nervous system, providing a safe and protected feeling.
https://www.squeasewear.com/about/effect-deep-pressure/
PROPOSED SOLUTION
PROOF Suicide attempts are often impulsive and triggered by an immediate crisis. While most suicidal impulses are intense, they typically last only a short period of time. Intervention during this time of acute risk is critical. Enter PROOF — the smart vest that leverages wearable technologies to detect when its user is emotionally aroused — providing calming deep pressure when needed most. By separating someone from the means to self-harm — PROOF takes away the ability to act on what otherwise might have been a fleeting impulse.
image source: Ashley M Hakes for Guideboat
PROPOSED SOLUTION
PROOF some vests protect you from others,
 who will protect you from yourself?
image source: Ashley M Hakes for Guideboat