Firearm Storage and Carrying Practices and Suicidal Behaviors in US Army Service Members

Are firearm storage and carrying practices and carrying of other weapons associated with suicidal behaviors in military service members?This cross-sectional study of 6561 firearm-owning US Army soldiers found that carrying firearms, as well as other weapons generally, was associated with greater risk of suicide, as was storing a firearm unsecured (loaded and unlocked) vs unloaded.The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that firearm storage behavior and carrying behavior of weapons in general, not just firearms, may serve as indicators of heightened suicide risk among military service members, indicating interventions should target all weapons.

Corresponding Author: Catherine L. Dempsey, PhD, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc, 6720 B Rockledge Dr, Ste 550, Bethesda, MD 20814 (catherine.dempsey.ctr@usuhs.edu).

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