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The primary objective of the current study was to examine the perspective of firearm stakeholders, including firearm safety course instructors, members of law enforcement, and firearm retailers, with regard to the implementation of an evidence-based approach to firearm safety promotion, the Firearm Safety Check, as a universal suicide prevention strategy in pediatric primary care. Twelve firearm stakeholders participated in semi-structured interviews. Using an integrated analytic approach, several themes emerged from the interviews. With regard to acceptability of the intervention, participants generally found counseling caregivers to store firearms safely and the provision of firearm locking mechanisms to be acceptable, but expressed concern about screening for firearm ownership in health systems. Participants identified distinct roles of responsibility for firearm advocacy groups, firearm owners, healthcare clinicians, and caregivers with regard to the promotion and execution of safe firearm storage. Participants called for partnerships between healthcare systems and firearm stakeholders, and also identified potential threats to these partnerships, including lack of trust firearm owners may have in health systems and the government. Finally, participants suggested strategies for preventing firearm-related suicides. Findings support a growing body of literature suggesting the value in researchers, health systems, and firearm stakeholders partnering around a shared agenda of firearm safety promotion as a strategy to prevent suicide., Author(s): Shari Jager-Hyman [sup.1] , Courtney Benjamin Wolk [sup.1] , Brian K. Ahmedani [sup.2] , John E. Zeber [sup.3] [sup.4] , Joel A. Fein [sup.5] , Gregory K. Brown [sup.1] [...]

Abstract Background The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently linked antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure to suicide-related behaviors based on meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. We examined the relationship between suicide-related behaviors and different AEDs in older veterans receiving new AED monotherapy from the Veterans Health Administration (VA), controlling for potential confounders. Methods VA and Medicare databases were used to identify veterans 66 years and older, who received a) care from the VA between 1999 and 2004, and b) an incident AED (monotherapy) prescription. Previously validated ICD-9-CM codes were used to identify suicidal ideation or behavior (suicide-related behaviors cases), epilepsy, and other conditions previously associated with suicide-related behaviors. Each case was matched to controls based on prior history of suicide-related behaviors, year of AED prescription, and epilepsy status. Results The strongest predictor of suicide-related behaviors (N = 64; Controls N = 768) based on conditional logistic regression analysis was affective disorder (depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Odds Ratio 4.42, 95% CI 2.30 to 8.49) diagnosed before AED treatment. Increased suicide-related behaviors were not associated with individual AEDs, including the most commonly prescribed AED in the US - phenytoin. Conclusion Our extensive diagnostic and treatment data demonstrated that the strongest predictor of suicide-related behaviors for older patients newly treated with AED monotherapy was a previous diagnosis of affective disorder. Additional, research using a larger sample is needed to clearly determine the risk of suicide-related behaviors among less commonly used AEDs.

Objectives. We assessed the association between homelessness and incarceration in Veterans Affairs patients with bipolar disorder. Methods. We used logistic regression to model each participant's risk of incarceration or homelessness after we controlled for known risk factors. Results. Of 435 participants, 12% reported recent homelessness (within the past month), and 55% reported lifetime homelessness. Recent and lifetime incarceration rates were 2% and 55%, respectively. In multivariate models, current medication adherence (based on a 5-point scale) was independently associated with a lower risk of lifetime homelessness (odds ratio [OR]=0.80 per point, range 0-4; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.66, 0.96), and lifetime incarceration increased the risk of lifetime homelessness (OR=4.4; 95% CI=2.8, 6.9). Recent homelessness was associated with recent incarceration (OR=26.4; 95% CI=5.2, 133.4). Lifetime incarceration was associated with current substance use (OR=2.6; 95% CI=2.7, 6.7) after control for lifetime homelessness (OR=4.2; 95% CI=2.7, 6.7). Conclusions. Recent and lifetime incarceration and homelessness were strongly associated with each other. Potentially avoidable or treatable correlates included current medication nonadherence and substance use. Programs that better coordinate psychiatric and drug treatment with housing programs may reduce the cycle of incarceration, homelessness, and treatment disruption within this vulnerable patient population. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2008.149989)

Objectives. We examined associations between patient characteristics and self-reported difficulties in accessing mental health and general medical care services. Methods. Patients were recruited from the Continuous Improvement for Veterans in Care-Mood Disorders study. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to assess whether predisposing (demographic characteristics), enabling (e.g., homelessness), or need (bipolar symptoms, substance abuse) factors were associated with difficulties in obtaining care, difficulties in locating specialty providers, and forgoing care because of cost. Results. Patients reported greater difficulty in accessing general medical services than in accessing psychiatric care. Individuals experiencing bipolar symptoms more frequently avoided psychiatric care because of cost (odds ratio [OR]=2.43) and perceived greater difficulties in accessing medical specialists (OR=2.06). Homeless individuals were more likely to report hospitalization barriers, whereas older and minority patients generally encountered fewer problems accessing treatment. Conclusions. Need and enabling factors were most influential in predicting self-reported difficulties in accessing care, subsequently interfering with treatment dynamics and jeopardizing clinical outcomes. Efforts in the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand mental health care access should be coupled with efforts to ensure adequate access to general medical services among patients with chronic mental illnesses. (doi:10.2105/AJPH.2007.131318)