PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Summer Newell
AU  - Emily Kenyon
AU  - Khaya D. Clark
AU  - Victoria Elliott
AU  - Annabelle Rynerson
AU  - Martha S. Gerrity
AU  - Elizabeth Karras
AU  - Joseph A. Simonetti
AU  - Steven K. Dobscha
TI  - Veterans Are Agreeable to Discussions About Firearms Safety in Primary Care
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2021.02.200261
DP  - 2021 Mar 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
PG  - 338--345
VI  - 34
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/34/2/338.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/34/2/338.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2021 Mar 01; 34
AB  - Background: Discussing safe storage of firearms, including access, during times of crisis with veterans in primary care settings may enhance suicide prevention efforts. However, veteran attitudes toward such discussions are not well understood. The goal of this study is to understand the perspectives of veterans on discussing firearms storage safety with staff during primary care visits.Methods: Individual semistructured interviews with veterans were conducted by telephone, qualitatively coded, and analyzed for themes. The sample was composed of veterans (n = 27) who had positive depression or post-traumatic stress disorder screens and who received care from Veterans Health Administration primary care team members trained to discuss firearms storage safety with patients.Results: Citing the urgent need to prevent veteran suicide, most veterans felt discussing firearms safety was acceptable and needed, even if discussions felt uncomfortable or they had concerns. Veterans identified the need for providers to be transparent in their purposes for asking about firearms and to respect veterans' unique relationships with firearms.Discussion: Conducting firearms safety discussions in a primary care setting with veterans who are at elevated risk for suicide is acceptable to veterans when a respectful, veteran-centered, and transparent approach is used.