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Clinical Trials/NCT03375099
NCT03375099CompletedNot Applicable

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

University of Southern Mississippi2 sites in 1 country232 target enrollmentStarted: June 1, 2017Last updated:
Conditions

Trial Snapshot

Phase
Not Applicable
Status
Completed
Enrollment
232
Locations
2
Primary Endpoint
Changes in Safe Storage of Personal Firearms

Study Overview

Brief Summary

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 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.

Detailed Description

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 National Guard personnel. 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

Study Design

Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Factorial
Primary Purpose
Prevention
Masking
Single (Participant)

Masking Description

Participants will not be informed of the nature of the conditions other than the one they are randomly assigned to receive

Eligibility Criteria

Ages
18 Years to 60 Years (Adult)
Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  • Affiliated with the National Guard
  • Owns at least one personal firearm
  • Speaks English fluently

Exclusion Criteria

  • Not provided

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Changes in Safe Storage of Personal Firearms

Time Frame: Change will be assessed at 3- and 6-month follow-up

Whether firearms are stored (1) in a lock box or gun safe (yes/no) (2) loaded (yes/no) (3) separate from ammunition (yes/no) and (4) using a locking device (e.g. cable lock; yes/no)

Secondary Outcomes

  • Changes in Willingness to Seek Mental Health Care in the Future(Change will be assessed immediately after the intervention and at 3- and 6-month follow-up)
  • Perceived Cultural Competence and Likelihood of Effectiveness of Lethal Means Counseling [Acceptability and Perceived Utility](This will be assessed immediately after the intervention at baseline)
  • Changes Openness to Means Safety in the Future(Change will be assessed immediately after the intervention and at 3- and 6-month follow-up)

Investigators

Sponsor Class
Other
Responsible Party
Sponsor

Study Sites (2)

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