Financial barriers and facilitators to secure firearm and medication storage among veterans with elevated suicide risk: a qualitative study.

Abstract

Objective: To explore financial barriers and facilitators to promoting secure firearm and medication storage among patients at risk for suicide.

Methods: Veterans seeking care in Veterans Affairs emergency care settings (N=28) participated in qualitative interviews on barriers and facilitators to adopting secure firearm and medication storage behaviours. Thematic analysis with inductive and iterative coding was used to identify themes pertaining to financial barriers and facilitators. Interviews were double-coded for reliability.

Results: We identified four themes-two related to financial barriers and two to financial facilitators. Barrier-related themes included: (1) the high cost of firearms and medications made owners less likely to dispose of medications, relinquish ownership of firearms or pursue out-of-home storage for firearms; (2) the high cost of out-of-home storage and preferred locking devices were barriers to secure storage. Facilitator-related themes included: (1) no-cost services or locking devices may help motivate secure firearm and medication storage and (2) preferences varied for no-cost locking devices versus coupons for devices.

Conclusions: Addressing financial barriers and leveraging financial facilitators may motivate secure storage of lethal means, which could enhance suicide prevention efforts.