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Firearm Safe Storage in Rural Families: Community Perspectives About Ownership and Safety Messaging

Informed by community-based participatory methods, focus groups and key informant interviews were conducted to design a safe storage prevention strategy for rural families. Participants included a broad array of community stakeholders (n = 40; 60% male, 40% female; age 15–72, M = 36.9, SD = 18.9) who were asked to identify acceptable messengers, message content, and delivery mechanisms that were perceived as respectful to the strengths of rural culture.

Effectiveness of Interventions to Promote Safe Firearm Storage

Seven clinic- and community-based studies published in 2000–2012 using counseling with or without safety device provision met the inclusion criteria. All 3 studies that provided a safety device significantly improved firearm storage practices, while 3 of 4 studies that provided no safety device failed to show an effect.

Firearm Violence by the Mentally Ill: Mental Health Professionals’ Perceptions and Practices

Findings have been summarized in the following categories: mental health professionals training, screening for the presence of firearms, engagement in firearm safety counseling, and perceptions regarding firearm violence in the United States. Mental health professionals need more training regarding firearm issues if they are going to play a role in reducing firearm trauma by the mentally ill. Their impact will be primarily on firearm suicides.

Talking with Families: Interventions for Health Care Clinicians

Clinicians need to connect with families within the context of their beliefs around gun ownership. This will facilitate providing effective guidance that maximizes the safety of all children within their homes, whether the children are their own or visitors.