Brett Bass, a gun retailer and coordinator of Forefront Suicide Prevention’s Safer Homes, Suicide Aware program, talks with a customer about firearm safety. Forefront Suicide Prevention/University of Washington
Firearm retailers around Washington state are willing to learn about #suicideprevention and to train their employees in how to spot and act on #suicide warning signs, a new University of Washington study finds.
With firearms the commonly used and most lethal means of #suicide nationwide, the findings from the survey of nearly 200 independent firearm retailers across the state demonstrate the potential for key community members to be proactive in helping to prevent people from taking their own lives, said Thomas Walton, a UW doctoral candidate of social work at Forefront Suicide Prevention and lead author of the paper.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is oe of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
#
The study, believed to be first to look at what influences firearm retailers in #suicideprevention efforts, also finds that a lack of awareness of the role of firearms in #suicide, as well as a reluctance to talk to customers about personal issues, likely inhibit greater progress in #suicideprevention.
“#Suicideprevention hasn’t been an area of focus in the firearm community, and it shows,” Walton said. “But there’s a definite willingness to pass on firearm safety information, and they want to be able to see how to integrate #suicideprevention into talking about firearm safety.”
The study was published online July 29 in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior.
According to the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention, about half of all #suicides in the United States from 1999 to 2017 (the most recent statistics available) involved a firearm. The percentage is even higher in veteran #suicides. #TheNationalSuicidePreventionLifeline is at 1-800-273-8255.
In Washington, the data is similar: From 2013 to 2017, almost half of all suicides, and 67% of veteran #suicides, involved a firearm, according to the state Department of Health. Beginning in 2017, the state Legislature helped fund Forefront’s Safer Homes, Suicide Aware campaign, which offers training, outreach and locking devices for firearms and medications in communities with high rates of firearms ownership.
As part of its mission, the Safer Homes program has identified gun retailers as a key potential stakeholder in distributing information about #suicideprevention. Other states, such as New Hampshire and Colorado have been working to engage firearm retailers in the issue; the UW study is the first aimed at understanding what influences such engagement.
The first step for UW researchers was surveying firearm retailers about their knowledge of #suicideprevention and willingness to participate. Using records from the state Department of Licensing and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Walton and Forefront director Jennifer Stuber were able to find email or mailing addresses for nearly 800 independent retailers around the state. The team created a 42-question survey that was available in print or online.
Big-box stores that sell guns were not included because of corporate policies governing store-level training and outreach.
The researchers also partnered with the Second Amendment Foundation and the owner of a Spokane gun shop, who together sent an introductory letter to the retailers explaining the survey.
In the end, 178 surveys were completed. Sixteen retailers contacted the researchers to refuse the survey, while 62 were minimally completed, and 33 were returned as undeliverable. The remaining 500 weren’t returned.
“There are barriers to working with this population because of distrust and incomplete contact information,” said Stuber, an associate professor in the UW School of Social Work. “But if you get the right messengers to get people to the table, there is clearly a willingness among retailers to be involved in the solutions.”
The results can be grouped generally into three distinct types of questions: knowledge of #suicide and how to prevent it; support for learning more; and a willingness to intervene directly with customers.
About half of the retailers who responded said they were familiar with warning signs of #suicide, while nearly two-thirds of respondents said they wanted to know more about how firearm retailers can help prevent #suicide. About 72% said they would provide free training to employees.
At the other end of the spectrum were beliefs about #suicide and the retailer’s role in talking with customers in crisis. Nearly three-quarters said asking customers about their #mentalhealth might offend them. About 45% said asking about personal issues is not their responsibility, and 66% agreed with the statement: “If a person wants to die by #suicide, there is nothing I can do to stop them.”
“It is critical to work on changing this common misperception that #suicide is inevitable,” Walton said. “For the vast majority of individuals, the desire to die by #suicide is fleeting, so anything any of us can do to prevent or postpone a #suicidal act is helping to save a life.”
Survey results also indicated that the more a retailer knows about #suicide, and the longer they have been in business, the more comfortable they are with ideas about training employees and talking with customers. For instance, retailers for whom a majority of sales come from firearms and ammunition were more likely to support education and outreach around #suicideprevention. Those with longer tenure in the industry, the authors wrote, were also more supportive of #suicideprevention efforts and thus could be tapped as leaders in any future effort among retailers.
“Notably, most firearm retailers lack awareness that #suicide is the most common type of firearm fatality. Education about this fact is an important first step to increasing engagement in prevention efforts,” Stuber said. “We are going to need out-of-the-box solutions to reach communities with high rates of firearm ownership to create compelling public health messages about #suicideprevention.”
This research was funded by the Washington state Legislature.
For more information, contact Kristen Morgan, Forefront communications manager, at morgank5@uw.edu or 206-616-9940.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
