Abstract
BackgroundWhile the majority of veteran suicides involve firearms, no contemporary data describing firearm ownership among US veterans are available. This study uses survey data to describe the prevalence of firearm ownership among a nationally representative sample of veterans, as well as veterans’ reasons for firearm ownership.MethodsA cross-sectional, nationally representative web-based survey conducted in 2015.ResultsNearly half of all veterans own one or more firearms (44.9%, 95% CI 41.3–48.6%), with male veterans more commonly owning firearms than do female veterans (47.2%, 95% CI 43.4–51.0% versus 24.4%, 95%CI 15.6–36.1%). Most veteran firearm owners own both handguns and long guns (56.5%, 95% CI 51.1–61.8%); a majority cite protection as a primary reason for firearm ownership (63.1%, 95% CI 58.2–67.8%).ConclusionsThe current study is the first to provide detailed, nationally representative information about firearm ownership among U.S. veterans. Better understanding firearm ownership among veterans can usefully inform ongoing suicide prevention efforts aiming to facilitate lethal means safety among vulnerable veterans during at-risk periods.
Highlights
While the majority of veteran suicides involve firearms, no contemporary data describing firearm ownership among United States (US) veterans are available
Estimates of firearm ownership among U.S veterans come from studies of small samples of veterans receiving care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) (Freeman et al, 1994; Freeman et al, 2003; Freeman & Roca, 2001; Smith et al, 2015; Heinz et al, 2016; Kellermann et al, 1992; Miller et al, 2006; Miller et al, 2007; Wiebe, 2003), and from unpublished nationally representative survey data that are
The dearth of information about firearm exposure among veterans is striking given the high priority and scholarly attention accorded to preventing veteran suicide (McCarthy et al, 2015; Hersher, 2017; VA Department of Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, 2017), and the well-established link between firearm ownership and suicide (Kellermann et al, 1992; Wiebe, 2003; Miller & Hemenway, 1999; Anglemyer et al, 2014)
Summary
While the majority of veteran suicides involve firearms, no contemporary data describing firearm ownership among US veterans are available. This study uses survey data to describe the prevalence of firearm ownership among a nationally representative sample of veterans, as well as veterans’ reasons for firearm ownership. A salient characteristic of veteran suicides is that the great majority involve guns (e.g., 66% of male veteran suicides involve firearms, compared with 56% of US males generally) (VA Suicide Prevention Program, 2016). Given this observation, no contemporary, peer-reviewed data describing firearm ownership among U.S veterans are available. Better understanding firearm exposure and ownership among veterans can usefully inform ongoing suicide prevention efforts aimed at reducing access to firearms for vulnerable veterans during at-risk periods – one of two suicide prevention strategies generally considered to have
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