Self-reported Access to Firearms Among Patients Receiving Care for Mental Health and Substance Use.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Firearms are the most common method of suicide, one of the "diseases of despair" driving increased mortality in the US over the past decade. However, routine standardized questions about firearm access are uncommon, particularly among adult populations, who are more often asked at the discretion of health care clinicians. Because standard questions are rare, patterns of patient-reported access are unknown.

Objective

To evaluate whether and how patients self-report firearm access information on a routine mental health monitoring questionnaire and additionally to examine sociodemographic and clinical associations of reported access.

Design setting and participants

Cross-sectional study of patients receiving care for mental health and/or substance use in prima

SUBMITTER: Richards JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8796974 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature