Protocol - Access to Lethal Means
- Classification of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior - Adolescent - Current
- Classification of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior - Adolescent - Epidemiology
- Classification of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior - Adolescent - Lifetime
- Classification of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior - Adolescent - Since Last Visit
- Classification of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior - Adult - Current
- Classification of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior - Adult - Epidemiology
- Classification of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior - Adult - Lifetime
- Classification of Suicidal Ideation and Suicidal Behavior - Adult - Since Last Visit
- Intensity of Suicidal Ideation (Continuum) - Adolescent
- Intensity of Suicidal Ideation (Continuum) - Adult
- Lethality of Suicide Attempts
- Non-suicidal Self Injury
- Suicidal Intent of Suicide Attempts
Description
This protocol includes three questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System State (BRFSS) Questionnaire. These questions capture whether firearms are present in the home and, if so, how they are stored (e.g., loaded and unlocked).
Specific Instructions
This protocol includes questions that can potentially identify respondents who are at risk of suicide. Investigators implementing this protocol should consider developing a risk management plan specific to their study to ensure the safety of participants. The following links provide additional information and guidelines for suicide-related research:
ora.research.ucla.edu/OHRPP/Documents/Policy/8/Risk_of_Suicide.pdf
Availability
Protocol
The next questions are about firearms. We are asking these in a health survey because of our interest in firearm-related injuries. Please include weapons such as pistols, shotguns, and rifles but not BB guns, starter pistols, or guns that cannot fire. Include those kept in a garage, outdoor storage area, or motor vehicle.
1. Are any firearms kept in or around your home?
1[ ]Yes
2[ ]No [Go to closing statement]
7[ ]Don’t know/Not sure [Go to closing statement]
9[ ]Refused [Go to closing statement]
2. Are any of these firearms now loaded?
1[ ]Yes
2[ ]No [Go to closing statement]
7[ ]Don’t know/Not sure [Go to closing statement]
9[ ]Refused [Go to closing statement]
3. Are any of these loaded firearms also unlocked? By unlocked, we mean you do not need a key or combination to get the gun or to fire it. We don’t count a safety as a lock.
1[ ]Yes
2[ ]No
7[ ]Don’t know/Not sure
9[ ]Refused
Closing statement
Please read:
That’s my last question. Everyone’s answers will be combined to give us information about the health practices of people in this state. Thank you very much for your time and cooperation.
Personnel and Training Required
The interviewer must be trained to conduct personal interviews with individuals from the general population. The interviewer must be trained and found to be competent (i.e., tested by an expert) at the completion of personal interviews. The interviewer should be trained to prompt respondents further if a "don’t know" response is provided.
Equipment Needs
The PhenX Working Group acknowledges these questions can be administered in a computerized or noncomputerized format (i.e., paper-and-pencil instrument). Computer software is necessary to develop computer-assisted instruments. The interviewer will require a laptop computer/handheld computer to administer a computer-assisted questionnaire.
Requirements
| Requirement Category | Required |
|---|---|
| Major equipment | No |
| Specialized training | No |
| Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection | No |
| Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual | No |
Mode of Administration
Interviewer-administered questionnaire
Lifestage
Adult
Participants
Adults, ages 18 and older.
Selection Rationale
These three questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System State (BRFSS) Questionnaire were selected as the best standardized methodology for determining access to firearms. These questions were administered in the BRFSS in 1995-98, 2001, 2002, and 2004.
Language
English, Spanish
Standards
| Standard | Name | ID | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Phenotype Ontology | Suicidal Ideation | HP:0031589 | HPO |
| caDSR Form | PhenX PX641001 - Access To Lethal Means | 6235228 | caDSR Form |
Derived Variables
None
Process and Review
Not applicable.
Protocol Name from Source
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System State (BRFSS) Questionnaire, 2004
Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2004). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Questions 21.1, 21.2, 21.3
General References
Miller, M., Azrael, D., & Barber, C. (2012). Suicide mortality in the United States: The importance of attending to method in understanding population-level disparities in the burden of suicide. Annual Review of Public Health, 33(1), 393-408.
Miller, M, Azrael, D., & Hemenway, D. (2002). Household firearm ownership and suicide rates in the United States. Epidemiology, 13(5), 517-524.
Miller, M., Barber, C., White, R. A., & Azrael, D. (2013). Firearms and suicide in the United States: Is risk independent of underlying suicidal behavior? American Journal of Epidemiology, 178(6), 946-955.
Protocol ID
641001
Variables
Export Variables| Variable Name | Variable ID | Variable Description | dbGaP Mapping | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PX641001_Firearms_In_Home | ||||
| PX641001010000 | Are any firearms kept in or around your home? | N/A | ||
| PX641001_Firearms_Loaded | ||||
| PX641001020000 | Are any of these firearms now loaded? | N/A | ||
| PX641001_Loaded_Firearms_Unlocked | ||||
| PX641001030000 | Are any of these loaded firearms also more | N/A | ||
Measure Name
Access to Lethal Means
Release Date
November 21, 2014
Definition
A questionnaire to determine availability of firearms in the home.
Purpose
The presence of firearms in the home is a strong predictor of suicide risk. Half of all suicides involve use of guns, and suicide rates are higher in areas where gun ownership is common.
Keywords
Firearms, Guns, suicide
Measure Protocols
| Protocol ID | Protocol Name |
|---|---|
| 641001 | Access to Lethal Means |
Publications
Goodman, M., et al. (2020) Group (?Project Life Force?) versus individual suicide safety planning: A randomized clinical trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications. 2020 January; 17: 100520. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2020.100520