Secure Storage Training to Reduce Veteran Suicide: Mental Health Clinicians' Needs Assessment Results.

Abstract

Many Veterans see a clinician shortly before suicide. Clinicians report a lack of training in firearm secure storage conversations as a barrier to initiating these conversations. We aimed to determine the needs of Veterans Health Administration mental health clinicians for training in discussing secure storage. A needs assessment survey of attitudes, barriers, facilitators, and desired training topics was sent to mental health clinicians at 15 Veterans Administration medical centers in the South, including Texas. Of clinicians completing the needs assessment (N = 566), most (93%) endorsed "usually" to "always" discussing secure storage. Reported barriers included Veterans not being open to such discussion (30.3%) and clinician discomfort (21.9%). Clinicians wanted more training regarding secure storage, scripts for conversations, and repairing rapport. Clinicians can discuss secure storage with Veterans to reduce suicide risk. Our results highlight the need to develop training to support clinicians in discussing secure storage with Veterans to prevent suicide.