title: Mental illness, previous suicidality, and access to guns in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the association between mental disorders, prior suicidality, and access to guns and gun safety in the U.S. population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from adult participants (N=5,692) from the National Comorbidity Survey: Replication (NCS-R), this study examined relationships between mental disorders, past suicidality, and gun access and safety practices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with lifetime mental disorders (N=3,528) were as likely as those without (N=2,034) to have access to a gun (34.1% versus 36.3%; odds ratio [OR]=.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]=.8-1.1), carry a gun (4.8% versus 5.0%; OR=1.0, CI=.7-1.40), or store a gun in an unsafe manner (6.2% versus 7.3%; OR=.9, CI=.5-1.4). However, individuals with a prior suicide attempt were less likely than those without such an attempt to have access to a gun (23.8% versus 36.0%; OR=.6, CI=.5-.8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the previously established relationship between mental health risk factors and suicide, this study highlights the need to assess for gun access among high-risk individuals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan 48109-5763, USA. marki@umich.edu
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ilgen
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zivin
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McCammon
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valenstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D005389:Firearms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology