Post‐traumatic stress disorder and firearm ownership, access, and storage practices: A systematic review.

Abstract

Most suicides in the United States are enacted with firearms, and firearm ownership/access and unsafe storage are associated with elevated suicide risk. Exaggerated perceptions of threat, which are characteristic of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), might lead to the acquisition and/or unsafe storage of firearms, thereby increasing suicide risk. In this systematic review, we evaluated 17 peer‐reviewed manuscripts (18 studies) that examined the relation between PTSD and firearm ownership/access, firearm storage practices, and related features thereof. We found it challenging to interpret results of the existing literature due to heterogeneity of methods employed and methodological limitations (e.g., asynchronous assessment of constructs). We identify multiple avenues for future research to better understand the extent to which PTSD is related to firearm‐related variables.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Suicidal Ideation, and Suicidal Self-Directed Violence Among U.S. Military Personnel and Veterans: A Systematic Review of the Literature From 2010 to 2018

“…It is possible that those who survive a SA using a less lethal means differ in their precipitants and drivers of suicide risk in comparison to those who use more lethal means (e.g., firearms). Given that military personnel and veterans have high rates of access to highly lethal means (e.g., firearms; Cleveland et al, 2017 ) as well as the potential interrelationship between trauma and firearm access (Monteith et al, 2020 ; Sadler et al, 2020 ; Simonetti et al, 2020 ; Stanley et al, 2020 ), longitudinal research must be prioritized to further understand if PTSD is associated with using different types of lethal means to enact S-SDV.…”

Firearm Storage Practices Among Military Service Members With Suspected Traumatic Brain Injury

“…Neuropsychiatric sequelae of TBI, such as impaired executive functioning and attendant impulsivity, may present challenges for the initiation and maintenance of safe firearm storage practices. Other potential confounders include psychiatric comorbidity associated with unsafe firearm storage practices (eg, posttraumatic stress disorder 7 ) and sociodemographic factors (eg, education level). Limitations of this study include a lack of examination of confounders, reliance on a brief selfreport TBI screener, use of a non-representative sample, and cross-sectional design.…”

Advancements in the understanding of PTSD and suicide risk: Introduction to a special section.

“…Finally, most suicides in the United States are caused by firearms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020), and the hypervigilance to threat that is characteristic of PTSD may lead some firearm owners to store their firearms unsafely (Jakupcak & Varra, 2011)-a robust risk factor for suicide (Mann & Michel, 2016). Yet, research examining the intersection between PTSD and firearm ownership and storage practices is limited by an array of methodological limitations that signal the need for additional inquiry (Stanley et al, 2020).…”