2 - (SYM 114) Engaging Suicide Prevention and Firearm Safety Stakeholders to Develop a Workshop on Firearm Safety for Suicide Prevention

Most suicide deaths in the US are from firearm injury. Increasing safe firearm storage can protect both individuals at risk and their family members from suicide. Family members and other loved ones are also in a unique position to encourage safe firearm storage. However, efforts to promote safe firearm storage have typically relied on delivery by clinicians or firearm safety trainers and have not focused on family members or other loved ones. Furthermore, given cultural and political tensions surrounding firearm access, it is critical to engage multiple stakeholder groups when developing interventions on this topic.   

In this study, we used a multi-stakeholder engagement framework, including the patient-centered outcomes research stakeholder engagement principles and rubric, to develop a workshop empowering families and loved ones of individuals at risk for suicide to discuss firearm safety. Stakeholder groups included: (1) five New York State county-level suicide prevention coalitions representing diverse populations and regions (in Erie, Monroe, Onondaga, Jefferson, and Orange counties), (2) subject matter experts in suicide prevention, firearm safety, and family processes, (3) individuals with firearms expertise, and (4) family members of individuals at risk for suicide.  

Integrating feedback from various stakeholders confirmed a final format of an hourlong workshop including content on (1) firearms and firearm safety, (2) discussing firearm safety with loved ones, and (3) developing a plan for safe storage. Coalitions indicated the importance of considering firearm safety through the lens of suicide prevention. Subject matter experts highlighted the need to identify the audience and tailor recruitment and workshop materials accordingly. Firearm experts noted that presenting information on safe firearm storage within the context of responsible firearm ownership and safe handling would be more acceptable to attendees.

Including the perspective of multiple stakeholder groups enabled us develop a workshop that (1) contains skills to promote firearm safety valued by experts, (2) is in a format likely to be acceptable to family members of individuals at risk for suicide, and (3) can feasibly be delivered by county coalitions across New York State. This study can serve as a model for the development of community-based workshops on firearm safety for suicide prevention using multi-stakeholder engagement processes. The workshop itself will be disseminated across New York State, with the potential for wider dissemination.