@article{ref1,
title="Possession of household firearms and firearm-related discussions with clinicians among veterans receiving VA mental health care",
journal="Archives of suicide research",
year="2019",
author="Valenstein, M. and Walters, H. and Pfeiffer, P. N. and Ganoczy, D. and Ilgen, M. A. and Miller, M. and Fiorillo, M. and Bossarte, Robert M.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="1-20",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: To assess possession of household firearms among veterans receiving mental health care and the frequency of their discussions with clinicians about firearms. <br><br>METHODS: We surveyed random samples of veterans receiving mental health care in each of five purposively chosen, geographically diverse VA facilities; 677 (50% of recipients) responded. <br><br>RESULTS: 45.3% (95% CI 41.2, 49.3) of veteran respondents reported household firearms; 46.9% of those with suicidal thoughts and 55.6% with a suicide plan had household firearms. Only 27.5% of all veteran respondents and 44% of those with recent suicidal ideation and household firearms had had a firearm-related discussion with a clinician. <br><br>DISCUSSION: Many veterans receiving mental health care can readily access firearms, a highly lethal means for suicide. Increasing clinician-patient discussions and health system efforts to reduce firearm access might reduce suicide in this clinical population.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1381-1118",
doi="10.1080/13811118.2019.1572555",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2019.1572555"
}