INDIANAPOLIS – More than 30,000 gun deaths occur every year in the United States and firearms are the second leading method resulting in injury death, behind motor vehicle crashes.

Firearm violence and suicide in Indiana are public health issues. People of all ages and races, regardless of income or level of education, are dying needless violent deaths.

For the last decade, the overall firearm related death rate in Indiana has been higher than that of the nation as a whole. Suicide is the second leading cause of injury and death in the state and nearly 60 percent of gun deaths in the state are suicides.

In an effort to reduce suicides and firearm related deaths, the Indiana Partnership to Prevent Violent Injury and Death, in conjunction with Clarian Health, Riley Hospital for Children, the Christian Theological Seminary and NAMI Indianapolis (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) will hold a conference on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at the Christian Theological Seminary, 1000 W. 42nd Street from 8:30 am -3:15 pm. The mental health education conference is entitled “Mending the Mind and Minding the Soul".

“Many persons in distress turn to their church for help, and this provides a crucial window of opportunity for the faith leaders to intervene and provide information and resources that could prevent a violent event in that person’s life,” said IPPVID Medical Director Marilyn Bull, MD, a developmental pediatrician at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley Hospital for Children.

In 2004, there were 83 homicides and 55 suicides in Marion County.

The objectives of the meeting are to:

• Explain why faith leaders have an important role in preventing suicides and firearm injury.
• Understand the connection between mental illness and tendencies toward suicide and violent behavior.
• Learn how to better minister to those with mental illness.
• Highlight some of the court programs that impact those with mental illness and violent tendencies.
• Learn how to better minister to those who have survived suicide or gun violence.
• Describe crisis intervention techniques for responding to a person who is suicidal or in a mental health crisis.
• Describe community resources available to assist with suicide and firearm injury prevention.

Financial support is provided by Clarian Health Partners.

The suicide rate in Indiana has been higher than the national average for the past decade. In terms of injury deaths, suicide is second only to motor vehicle deaths and suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 25-34 and the third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds. In Indiana, 60 percent of the overall gun related deaths are suicides, compared to 56 percent for the nation.

“Aside from the numbers of people who are dying from guns, there are about three times as many people injured from guns,” said Dr. Bull. “With these injuries and deaths come huge emotional and financial consequences for the families and the community. Victims may sustain a lifetime of physical and emotional debilitation, decreased quality of life and potential loss of income.”