UTAH: In Rural Utah, Preventing Suicide Means Meeting Gun Owners Where They Are
September 27, 2019
Mental health professionals are reaching out to gun owners to help prevent suicide in rural Utah. At the recent Vernal Gun & Knife Show, representatives from Northeastern Counseling Center gave out free cable locks to prevent guns from being loaded and gun socks printed with the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Robin Hatch, Northeastern Counseling prevention coordinator, emphasized the importance of meeting gun owners where they are. “You need to know your community, and you need to address [suicide] in a way that your community will accept,” said Hatch. To help address the state’s high firearm suicide rate, the Utah legislature has allocated funding for research led by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in consultation with the Utah Shooting Sports Council.
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