A study by Alabama researchers is looking at a potential method for reducing the number of gun suicides in the United States.
A report published by the American Association of Suicidology suggests that many patients at risk for killing themselves would voluntarily place their names on a list of people who can't purchase firearms.
That could be important since guns account for about half of all suicides, and suicide was the tenth-leading cause of death in the United States in 2013.
The research was written by University of Alabama law professor Fredrick Vars along with Karen Cropsey and Richard Shelby of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, plus a Cincinnati expert.
Researchers conducted the study using questionnaires completed by patients at inpatient and outpatient psychiatric units.