Citation

Stanley IH, Hom MA, Marx BP, Reger MA. Clin. Psychol. Sci. Pract. 2020; 27(3): e12358.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/cpsp.12358

PMID

unavailable

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.

Language: en

Keywords

firearms; post-traumatic stress disorder; suicide