• Summer Newell, Emily Kenyon, Khaya D Clark, Victoria Elliott, Annabelle Rynerson, Martha S Gerrity, Elizabeth Karras, Joseph A Simonetti, and Steven K Dobscha.
• From the Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR (SN, EKenyon, VE, AR, SKD); Division of Psychology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland (EKenyon); Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR (KDC); National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR (KDC); Hearing Center of Excellence, Department of Defense, San Antonio, TX (KDC); Division of Hospital and Specialty Medicine, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR (MSG); Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland (MSG); Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Canandaigua, NY (EKarras); Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY (EKarras); Rocky Mountain Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) for Suicide Prevention, VHA, Aurora, CO. (JAS); Denver-Seattle Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, VHA, Aurora, CO (JAS); Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland (SKD). summer.newell@va.gov.
• J Am Board Fam Med. 2021 Mar 1; 34 (2): 338-345.

BackgroundDiscussing 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.MethodsIndividual 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.ResultsCiting 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.DiscussionConducting 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.© Copyright 2021 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

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