(PS2-C62) Parental Firearm Storage Behavior in Youth Suicide Decedents: The Impact of Mental Health Treatment, Disclosure of Thoughts, and Prior Suicidality

Background:

While firearms are not the most common method for suicide death among youth, between 2010 and 2020 there was a general trend indicating a sharp increase in firearm suicide deaths for those aged 8-17 years old (CDC, 2022). One notable firearm suicide prevention strategy is safe storage, which refers to storing firearms unloaded, separate from ammunition, with cable/trigger locks, or within a safe/lockbox. A current area of research centers around how to deliver safe storage information to firearm owners. The present study examined firearm storage behavior for the parents of youth (8-17 years old) who died by suicide using their parent’s firearms. Specifically, we examined if the child’s mental health treatment, suicidal ideation/plans, prior suicide attempts, and disclosure of suicidal thoughts prior to their death predicted parent’s firearm storage behavior (loaded/unloaded and unlocked/locked).

Results:

Data for the present study were collected from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). Data in the NVDRS is collected from several sources - including death records, coroner/medical examiner reports, and law enforcement reports - to provide comprehensive information on violent deaths (Paulozzi, Frazier, & Annest, 2004). Results indicated that the child’s current mental health/substance use treatment (B=.534, p=.107), prior mental health treatment (B=-.052, p=.867), prior suicidal ideation/plans (-.083, p=.681), prior suicide attempts (B=-.061, p=.811), and disclosure of suicidal thoughts prior to death (.189, p=.357) were not associated with whether parents stored the firearm locked/unlocked. Similarly, results indicated that the child’s current mental health/substance use treatment (B=-.138, p=.737), prior mental health/substance use treatment (B=-.128, p=.728), previous suicidal ideation/suicide plans (B=.340, p=.181), previous suicide attempts (B=-.131, p=.697), and disclosure of suicidal thoughts prior to the suicide death (B=-.203, p=.425) were not associated with whether parents stored their firearms loaded/unloaded.

Implications:

These results suggest that parent’s firearm storage behavior is not impacted by several notable risk factors for suicide and as such may result in firearms being more readily available to youth experiencing suicidal crises than would be preferred. Notably, Child Access Prevention laws are associated with fewer youth suicide deaths, suggesting this may be one mechanism for addressing these findings (Kivisto et al., 2021). Additionally, both mental health providers and public health experts should find ways educate firearm owners about the risk firearms pose during a suicidal crisis. While firearms do not make an individual suicidal, access to firearms in the times of a suicidal crisis is a notable risk factor for death by suicide. Mental health care providers need to work with families to discuss firearms in the home and how their storage may need to be addressed when youth are experiencing mental health difficulties. On a larger scale, public health campaigns need to educate the public on the risk firearms pose for suicide and how this risk can be partially mitigated by safe storage.