Comparison of Lethal Means Counseling and an Active Control Condition, With and Without Provision of Gun Locks
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 29 |
| Updated: | 12/21/2017 |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2017 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2020 |
| Contact: | Michael D Anestis, PhD |
| Email: | michael.anestis@usm.edu |
| Phone: | 601-266-6742 |
Comparison of Lethal Means Counseling and an Active Control Condition, With and Without Provision of Gun Locks for Improving Safe Storage of Personal Firearms Among National Guard Personnel
In 2013, the National Guard reported a suicide rate that was substantially higher than both
the general population and the active duty component of the United States military. The
prototypical National Guard suicide decedent appears to be a young male firearm owner not
currently deployed who dies using his own gun. Prior research within the military has
revealed that soldiers are unlikely to seek out or engage in mental health services. In sum,
current best practices in suicide risk assessment are poorly equipped to identify the
individuals most likely to die by suicide. This study aims to examine the acceptability,
feasibility, and utility of a single lethal means counseling session as part of a suicide
prevention approach targeting demographic groups overrepresented in National Guard firearm
suicides. 232 firearm-owning male National Guard personnel will be randomized to one of four
conditions, each of which requires a single 15-25 minute session: (1) lethal means counseling
(2) lethal means counseling plus the provision of free gun locks (3) health and stress
control condition (4) health and stress control condition plus the provision of free gun
locks. The investigators anticipate that those who receive lethal means counseling will
subsequently store their personal firearms more safely and report being more willing to store
their firearms away from the home during any hypothetical future suicidal crisis. The
overarching goal of each hypothesis is to examine the extent to which gun owning young male
National Guard personnel at varying levels of suicide risk are willing to engage in means
safety.
the general population and the active duty component of the United States military. The
prototypical National Guard suicide decedent appears to be a young male firearm owner not
currently deployed who dies using his own gun. Prior research within the military has
revealed that soldiers are unlikely to seek out or engage in mental health services. In sum,
current best practices in suicide risk assessment are poorly equipped to identify the
individuals most likely to die by suicide. This study aims to examine the acceptability,
feasibility, and utility of a single lethal means counseling session as part of a suicide
prevention approach targeting demographic groups overrepresented in National Guard firearm
suicides. 232 firearm-owning male National Guard personnel will be randomized to one of four
conditions, each of which requires a single 15-25 minute session: (1) lethal means counseling
(2) lethal means counseling plus the provision of free gun locks (3) health and stress
control condition (4) health and stress control condition plus the provision of free gun
locks. The investigators anticipate that those who receive lethal means counseling will
subsequently store their personal firearms more safely and report being more willing to store
their firearms away from the home during any hypothetical future suicidal crisis. The
overarching goal of each hypothesis is to examine the extent to which gun owning young male
National Guard personnel at varying levels of suicide risk are willing to engage in means
safety.
In 2013, the National Guard reported a suicide rate that was substantially higher than both
the general population and the active duty component of the United States military. The
prototypical National Guard suicide decedent appears to be a young male firearm owner not
currently deployed who dies using his own gun. Prior research within the military has
revealed that soldiers are unlikely to seek out or engage in mental health services. In sum,
current best practices in suicide risk assessment are poorly equipped to identify the
individuals most likely to die by suicide. This study aims to examine the acceptability,
feasibility, and utility of a single lethal means counseling session as part of a suicide
prevention approach targeting demographic groups overrepresented in National Guard firearm
suicides. The study will utilize a 2x2 Factorial Design: Intervention (Lethal Means
Counseling, Health and Stress Control) X Gun-Lock (Provided, Not Provided). Participants will
be 232 firearm owning male National Guard personnel under the age of 30. Lethal Means
Counseling comprises education on risk factors for suicide, information on preventative
resources, and encouragement to store guns safely and to temporarily remove guns during high
risk periods. The Health and Stress Program is designed to control for effects of general
mental and physical health education in the active condition. Each condition utilizes a
motivational interviewing framework. The overarching goal of each hypothesis is to examine
the extent to which gun owning young male National Guard personnel at varying levels of
suicide risk are willing to engage in safety planning and find means safety approaches
acceptable
the general population and the active duty component of the United States military. The
prototypical National Guard suicide decedent appears to be a young male firearm owner not
currently deployed who dies using his own gun. Prior research within the military has
revealed that soldiers are unlikely to seek out or engage in mental health services. In sum,
current best practices in suicide risk assessment are poorly equipped to identify the
individuals most likely to die by suicide. This study aims to examine the acceptability,
feasibility, and utility of a single lethal means counseling session as part of a suicide
prevention approach targeting demographic groups overrepresented in National Guard firearm
suicides. The study will utilize a 2x2 Factorial Design: Intervention (Lethal Means
Counseling, Health and Stress Control) X Gun-Lock (Provided, Not Provided). Participants will
be 232 firearm owning male National Guard personnel under the age of 30. Lethal Means
Counseling comprises education on risk factors for suicide, information on preventative
resources, and encouragement to store guns safely and to temporarily remove guns during high
risk periods. The Health and Stress Program is designed to control for effects of general
mental and physical health education in the active condition. Each condition utilizes a
motivational interviewing framework. The overarching goal of each hypothesis is to examine
the extent to which gun owning young male National Guard personnel at varying levels of
suicide risk are willing to engage in safety planning and find means safety approaches
acceptable
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male
- 18-29 years of age
- Affiliated with the National Guard
- Owns at least one personal firearm
- Speaks English fluently
Exclusion Criteria:
We found this trial at
1
site
118 College Drive
Hattiesburg, Mississippi 30406
Hattiesburg, Mississippi 30406
Principal Investigator: Michael D Anestis, PhD
Phone: 601-266-5693
Click here to add this to my saved trials
