# Firearm Behavioral Practices and Suicide Risk in U.S. Army Soldiers and Veterans

> **NIH ALLCDC R01** · HENRY M. JACKSON FDN FOR THE ADV MIL/MED · 2020 · $350,000

## Abstract

Abstract
In the US, firearms are the most common method of suicide. Veterans bear a disproportionate share
of this burden, representing over 69.4% of firearm mediated suicides. Suicide precipitates devastating
impacts on service members and veterans' families and communities, in addition to reducing
productivity and burdening the economy. The trauma of firearm mediated violence extends beyond
decedents, with a majority of individuals who attempt suicide likely to survive with debilitating injuries,
physical disabilities, and chronic mental health problems. Given that veterans are more likely than
civilians to own firearms, carry them in public, and use them regularly, there is an unmet need to
elucidate the relationship between firearm use and suicide, to identify veterans in need of suicide
prevention strategies. Based on preliminary evidence linking gender, geography, personality traits,
mental health, lifestyle, age, and other socio-demographic factors to firearm accessibility, we
hypothesize that factors beyond firearm accessibility, storage and ownership influence firearm
mediated suicide. Our objective is to improve the understanding of motivations for service members
and veterans owning firearms, storing them in unsafe conditions and using them to hurt others or
themselves. The study will comprise secondary analysis of data sets obtained from the Study to
Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers – Longitudinal Study (STARRS-LS), a longitudinal
study of over 14,000 soldiers between 2015-2020. The specific aims of the study are to: 1) Identify
factors firearms behavioral practices (e.g., firearm ownership, storage practices and firearms carrying
practices) that may predict suicide deaths; 2) Establish if there is a relationship between geographic
location and suicide, by examining military suicide rates by state and strength of gun laws within a
state; 3) Identify the principal reasons for keeping a gun, and the degree to which identified reasons
mediate suicide risk; and 4) Establish if there is a relationship between storage practices and
personality characteristics (i.e. impulsivity, paranoia, aggression, etc.) or other mental health issues.
A concentration of risk approach is expected to reveal interactions between firearm ownership, use
and storage practices, and sociodemographic, cultural and geographical factors that influence firearm
mediated suicide risk in veterans. The broader impact of this study is anticipated to be the
development of a comprehensive understanding of risks contributing to firearm mediated suicide, thus
improving risk identification capabilities. This study is proposed under `Objective One: Research to
help inform the development of innovative and promising opportunities to enhance safety and prevent
firearm-related injuries, deaths, and crime,' funded through Funding Option A.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10163448
- **Project number:** 1R01CE003270-01
- **Recipient organization:** HENRY M. JACKSON FDN FOR THE ADV MIL/MED
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID M BENEDEK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $350,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2022-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10163448

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10163448, Firearm Behavioral Practices and Suicide Risk in U.S. Army Soldiers and Veterans (1R01CE003270-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10163448. Licensed CC0.

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