NYC24: Sixty percent of suicides in the United States are by gun. Is there a connection between availability of guns and suicide? Does that affect other methods?

Dr. Mann: There have been a number of studies comparing the different degrees of gun control in states compared to others. These studies have not been in general agreement, but some facts are more consistent. The risk of suicide in a family home where there is a gun is significantly greater, even if the gun is not loaded. The other thing about guns is that if you shoot yourself, your chance of surviving a self-inflicted gunshot wound is less than 10 percent. Whereas if you swallow pills, the odds are much better. It's highly lethal, just like the pesticides. People tend to use what's available. If what's available is less lethal, you're going to have more so-called 'failed suicides.'

NYC 24: What are the best prevention methods?

Dr. Mann: It's important that people know about the risk of suicide and know how to react to individuals who talk about suicide, because those individuals who talk about are the ones at risk. The ones who don't talk about it, because they're keeping it a secret and they don't want to be stopped, are the hardest group to help. But the people who do talk about it are often not helped. Anyone that talks about it should be steered towards someone who knows something about it and can help them get better.

NYC24: With more drug treatments for depression and a greater awareness of mental health diseases, is there evidence of a decline in the suicide rate?

Dr. Mann: The short answer to that is there is a bit of decline. But it's not as big as we'd hoped for. The suicide rate has fallen from about 12 per 100,000 to about 10 per 100,000. That may be due to more widespread use of psychotropic medications, as we call them. We feel hopeful that that's the beginning of an impact on the suicide rate. On the other hand, the suicide rate is estimated to shortly pass 1 million people per year in the world. It's stayed constant around 30,000-plus per year in the United States, and it is the eighth leading cause of death. Although we've made some progress, we still have a tremendously serious problem and we've only just begun to make a dent in it.