A PRISMA Scoping Review to Explore Interventions to Prevent Firearm-Related Injury and Suicide in Older Adults

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This scoping review aims to examine existing research into firearm safety interventions designed to prevent firearm injury and suicide in older adults.

Methods

Select databases were searched in 5/2023. Included articles involved an/a 1. aim to develop or investigate firearm safety interventions, 2. focus on adults 50 years and older, and 3. primary analysis.

Results

The search yielded 10 articles which primarily focused on firearm safety counseling with older adults with suicide risk or emerging impairment. The review found that older adults may be open to receiving firearm safety counseling but that providers feel ill-equipped to have these conversations and to reliably identify suicide risk. Two studies presented promising data on the impact and acceptability of training providers in a firearm safety intervention. The review also identified the importance of building trust between older patients and providers to have helpful discussions regarding firearms, and highlighted specific approaches that facilitate openness to participate in these exchanges.

Conclusions

Further research into adapting interventions to meet the clinical needs of older adults and treatment efficacy trials is necessary.

Clinical implications

Training healthcare providers to conduct firearm safety interventions with older adults may be an acceptable and impactful avenue to prevent suicide.

KEYWORDS:

• Firearm safety
• lethal means safety
• older adults
• scoping review
• suicide prevention

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Drs. Jennifer Kaci Fairchild, Michele Karel, Anica Pless Kaiser, and Sherry Beaudreau for their valuable insights during the conceptualization of this scoping review, and its aims and research questions. We would also like to extend our thanks to the library services team at the National Center for PTSD for their collaboration on our project, primarily through the efforts of co-author, Mary LaMarca.

This scoping review was supported by the VA Office of Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D) and the Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN 2) Mental Illness, Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC). The content of this article is solely the responsibility of its authors and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or official position of the VA or the US Government. The authors further acknowledge the Levy Library at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai for providing access to Covidence software.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data available on request from the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2024.2339366

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the VHA Office of Mental Healht and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP).