Containing the good idea fairy: A deep dive into Navy firearms restriction policy.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

US Navy suicide is an ongoing concern, with more than half of suicide deaths each year related to firearms. Although decreasing firearms access by those who are at risk for suicide has been well-established as a tactic for reducing risk, implementation of firearms restrictions has a significant cultural and occupational impact among service members that may increase the stigma of seeking mental health care. During a recent Deep Dive review of all previous year suicide deaths, subject matter experts from across the US Navy identified significant variability in command utilization of firearms restriction.

METHODOLOGY

Based on this finding, a review was conducted to identify best practice for firearms restriction related to suicide risk across the US military services and municipal police departments.

FINDINGS

Findings from this review suggested that the Department of the Navy may benefit from adopting consistent standards for disarming and rearming service members at risk for suicide, base decisions on objective suicide risk rather than routine stressors, decrease access primarily when service members are off duty, and engage with service members to decrease core drivers of suicide behavior through command channels.

IMPLICATIONS

Implementing these recommendations may be a crucial step in balancing precautions to decrease suicide risk with the stigma of firearms restriction in military settings.