Women Veterans’ experiences discussing household firearms with their intimate partners: collaborative, devalued, and deferential relational types

Injury Epidemiology

Original Contribution

Evan R. Polzer¹  Carly M. Rohs¹  Suzanne M. Thomas¹  Christin N. Miller¹  Ryan Holliday²  Lindsey L. Monteith³  Lisa A. Brenner⁴  Joseph A. Simonetti⁵  Katherine M. Iverson⁶ 

[1] VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention, Aurora, CO, USA;VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention, Aurora, CO, USA;Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA;VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention, Aurora, CO, USA;Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA;Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA;VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention, Aurora, CO, USA;Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA;Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA;Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA;VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention, Aurora, CO, USA;Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA;Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA;Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA;

关键词: Veteran;    Firearm;    Suicide;    Women;    Lethal means safety counseling;    Intimate partner;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40621-023-00452-7

 received in 2023-05-05, accepted in 2023-07-17,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundRates of firearm suicide have increased among women Veterans. Discussing firearm access and reducing access to lethal means of suicide when suicide risk is heightened are central tenets of suicide prevention, as is tailoring suicide prevention strategies to specific populations. While research has begun to explore how to optimize firearm lethal means safety counseling with women Veterans, there is limited knowledge of women Veterans' perspectives on including their intimate partners in such efforts. This gap is notable since many women Veterans have access to firearms owned by other household members. Understanding women Veterans’ experiences and perspectives regarding including their partners in firearm lethal means safety conversations can provide important information for tailoring firearm lethal means safety counseling for women Veterans.MethodsQualitative interviews were conducted with 40 women Veterans with current or prior household firearm access. Interview questions focused on the roles of women Veterans’ partners in household firearm access and storage, as well as women Veterans’ perspectives regarding including intimate partners in firearm lethal means safety counseling. Inductive thematic analysis was performed.ResultsThree relational types characterized how household firearms were discussed between women Veterans and their partners: collaborative, devalued, and deferential. These types were distinguished via women Veterans’ agency in decision-making related to household firearms, partners’ receptivity to women Veterans’ mental health or trauma histories, and willingness (or lack thereof) of partners to change household firearm access and storage considering such histories. Intimate partner violence was common in the devalued relational subtype.ConclusionsFindings extend knowledge regarding the context of women Veterans’ household firearm access, including relational dynamics between women Veterans and their partners. The acceptability, feasibility, challenges, and facilitators of including women Veterans’ partners in firearm lethal means safety efforts likely vary for each relational type. For example, in dyads with a collaborative dynamic, incorporating partners may create opportunities for increased firearm safety, whereas including partners in devalued dynamics may present unique challenges. Research is warranted to determine optimal methods of navigating firearm lethal means safety counseling in the presence of each relational dynamic.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply 2023