Category: Suicide and Self-Injury
Kelly Zuromski, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Catherine Dempsey, M.P.H., Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Bethesda, Maryland
Craig Bryan, ABPP, Psy.D.
Director, Division of Recovery and Resilience
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Columbus, Ohio
Kelly Zuromski, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Catherine Dempsey, M.P.H., Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Bethesda, Maryland
Marian Betz, M.D., Other
Professor
Unviersity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Denver, Colorado
Mike Anestis, PhD
Executive Director
New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center
West Piscataway, New Jersey
Sabrina Arredondo Mattson, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate
The University of Colorado at Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Suicide represents a significant, ongoing public health emergency in the U.S., particularly among servicemembers and veterans. In fact, since 9/11, almost four times as many servicemembers have died by suicide than in combat (Suitt, 2021). Over 60% of suicides among military personnel involve a firearm (DoDSER, 2019), suggesting that modifying firearm-related behaviors, such as ownership or storage practices, would be promising targets for intervention to potentially make large-scale reductions in the suicide rate. Unfortunately, focusing on firearm-related intervention targets is challenging due to the polarizing nature of gun-related policies and beliefs in the U.S.—beliefs that vary widely across different cultural contexts (e.g., rural vs. urban) and populations.
In this symposium, we will focus on opportunities for behavioral science to make an impact on the firearm suicide crisis. We will present studies focused on two primary topics: (1) Examining the association between firearms and suicide to identify intervention targets, and (2) Developing and testing behavioral interventions to reduce firearm-related suicides at both the individual and community levels. First, we will present on two studies focused on improving our understanding of how and why firearm ownership is related to suicidal behavior in U.S. Army soldiers. In Presentation 1, we will examine relevant psychological variables (e.g., personality, mental health symptoms) that may moderate the association between firearm ownership and suicide, and in Presentation 2, we will explore suicide decedents’ motivations for owning firearms using data from a psychological autopsy study. Next, we will present a series of studies on interventions to reduce firearm suicides, including studies on individual-level interventions, public information campaigns, and harnessing community partnerships. In Presentation 3, we will explore opportunities and barriers to voluntary, temporary, out-of-home firearm storage for both servicemembers and civilians, which is a key component of lethal means counseling, an evidence-based behavioral intervention to reduce suicide risk. Then, in Presentation 4, we will present emerging data on a recent RCT of lethal means counseling among members of the National Guard. This presentation will also include results from a recent study examining effective messaging on safe firearm storage, in which different messages about firearm storage were tested in a sample of servicemembers to inform broad information campaigns in the Department of Defense. Finally, in Presentation 5, we will present data from the Colorado Gun Shop Project (GSP), which is a community-driven suicide prevention partnership between the firearms community and public/community health agencies. Specifically, we will examine what aspects of the GSP intervention may contribute to behavior change in the firearm community. Results from these presentations will highlight opportunities for using behavioral science to understand and intervene on the growing epidemic of firearm-related suicides. Although our primary focus is on military personnel, findings will be relevant to the general population as well.
Presenter: Kelly L. Zuromski, Ph.D. – Harvard University
Co-author: Catherine L. Dempsey, M.P.H., Ph.D. – Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Co-author: David Benedek, M.D. – Uniformed Services University
Co-author: Jingning Ao, M.P.H. – Uniformed Services University
Co-author: Pablo Aliaga, M.S. – Uniformed Services University
Co-author: Robert Bossarte, Ph.D. – University of South florida
Co-author: Robert Ursano, M.D. – Uniformed Services University
Co-author: Matthew Nock, Ph.D. – Harvard University
Presenter: Catherine L. Dempsey, M.P.H., Ph.D. – Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Co-author: Catherine L. Dempsey, M.P.H., Ph.D. – Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Co-author: David Benedek, M.D. – Uniformed Services University
Co-author: Matthew Nock, Ph.D. – Harvard University
Co-author: James West, MD – Center For The Study Of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Co-author: Kelly L. Zuromski, Ph.D. – Harvard University
Co-author: Matthew Georg, MPH – Center For The Study Of Traumatic Stress, Contracted By: Henry M. Jackson Foundation
Co-author: Jingning Ao, M.P.H. – Uniformed Services University
Co-author: Robert Bossarte, Ph.D. – University of South florida
Co-author: Robert Ursano, M.D. – Uniformed Services University
Presenter: Marian E. Betz, M.D., Other – Unviersity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Co-author: Rachel Kennedy, MPH, RN – University of Colorado Asnchutz Medical Campus
Co-author: Bonnie Siry-Bove, MSS – University of Colorado Asnchutz Medical Campus
Co-author: Christopher Knoepke, PhD, MSW – University of Colorado Asnchutz Medical Campus
Presenter: Mike Anestis, PhD – New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center
Presenter: Sabrina Arredondo Mattson, Ph.D. – The University of Colorado at Boulder
Co-author: Sabrina Arredondo Mattson, Ph.D. – The University of Colorado at Boulder
Co-author: Erin Kelly, Dr PH, MA – Injury & Violence Prevention Center
Co-author: Jani Little, PhD, MA – University of Colorado Boulder
Co-author: Beverly Kingston, Ph.D. – The Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
Co-author: Eric Sigel, MD – Children's Hospital Colorado