Firearm Storage Device Distribution to Families of Children With Mental Health Complaints

May 3, 2022 updated by: Neil Uspal, Seattle Children's Hospital

Impact of Firearm Safety Device Distribution on Firearm Exposure in the Households of Patients With Mental Health Complaints

This study aims to describe the baseline rate of safe firearm storage device use in the homes of pediatric patients with mental health complaints treated in the Emergency Department (ED) and/or inpatient psychiatric unit of an urban tertiary pediatric hospital.

Follow-up data will be collected to ascertain any change(s) in the rate of safe firearm storage device use after patients have been treated for a mental health complaint, which includes standardized recommendations for safe firearm storage practices. This study also involves an intervention to distribute safe firearm storage devices to families of pediatric mental health patients during their hospital visit, and assesses whether safe storage device distribution impacts reported future rate of firearm safety device use.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Firearm injuries are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality for children and teens. Access to firearms has been associated with suicide completion in the pediatric mental health population. Current practice in our pediatric Emergency Department (ED) and inpatient psychiatric unit is to screen all mental health patients for firearm access, and to recommend safe firearm storage practices. However, there is no data on the baseline rate of safe firearm storage device use in the homes of these patients, or on the effectiveness of providing these recommendations during hospitalization.

This study has two phases, a baseline and an intervention. During the baseline phase, the research team will study whether there is an improvement in safe firearm storage device use in the homes of participants 7 or 30 days after safe storage practices are recommended during an ED or inpatient psychiatric visit. During the intervention phase, in addition to the standard recommendation of safe storage practices during the visit, the research team will distribute firearm safety storage devices such as a lock box, trigger lock, and and/or cable lock to families at the time of study enrollment. The investigators will study whether there is an improvement in safe firearm storage device use in the homes of intervention participants after 7 or 30 days compared to the usual care group.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

255

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Washington
      • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98105
        • Seattle Children's

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

No older than 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 0-17 years, inclusive
  • Evaluated in the Emergency Department or inpatient psychiatric unit for a primary mental health complaint
  • Presence of a firearm in household where patient resides at least one day per week and/or will reside for at least one of the 7 days following enrollment
  • Accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
  • Parent or legal guardian is proficient in English
  • Parent or legal guardian is 18 years of age or older

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patient is 18 years of age or older
  • Patient is not evaluated for a mental health complaint in the Emergency Department or inpatient psychiatric unit
  • The adult participant has previously enrolled in the intervention phase of the study.
  • Patient is accompanied by a parent/legal guardian who has previously enrolled a different child in the intervention phase of the study
  • Patient is not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian during their PMBU or ED visit
  • Parent or legal guardian accompanying patient does not reside and/or does not anticipate residing in the household with patient for any of the 7 days following enrollment and no other adult household member is present to consent Note: Adult household members may only consent to participate in this study if a parent or legal guardian is also present to provide informed consent.

For adult household members only:

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Lives in same household as patient at least one day per week
  • Has primary or shared responsibility for at least one firearm stored in the household
  • Proficient in English

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Resides in household with patient less than one day per week, and/or does not anticipate residing in the household with patient for any of the 7 days following enrollment
  • Is not responsible for firearm storage in the home

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Baseline
Participants receive the standard of care recommendations for safe firearm storage device usage.
Experimental: Free Device
Participants receive the standard of care recommendations for safe firearm storage device usage In addition, the study intervention is provision of a free safe firearm storage device (lock box, trigger lock and/or cable lock) for firearm storage at the time of enrollment.
Participants in the experimental phase of the study receive a safe firearm storage device at the time of study enrollment. They are randomized to receive a free device. Safe firearm storage devices include a California Department of Justice-approved lock box, trigger lock and/or cable lock.
Experimental: Low Cost Device
Participants receive the standard of care recommendations for safe firearm storage device usage. In addition, the study intervention is the provision of a low cost ($5) firearm storage device (lock box, trigger lock and/or cable lock) for firearm storage at the time of enrollment.
Participants in the experimental phase of the study receive a safe firearm storage device at the time of study enrollment. They are randomized to receive a low cost ($5) device. Safe firearm storage devices include a California Department of Justice-approved lock box, trigger lock and/or cable lock.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in the number of unsecured firearms stored in the household.
Time Frame: 7 and 30 days post-enrollment
Comparison in the participant-reported number of unsecured firearms stored in their household at the time of enrollment, 7 days post-enrollment, and 30 days post-enrollment.
7 and 30 days post-enrollment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of participants with all firearms safely secured
Time Frame: Baseline, 7 days and 30 days post-enrollment
Description of participants with all firearms secured using "triple safe" storage methods: firearms stored in a locked location, unloaded, and with ammunition stored in a separate, locked location
Baseline, 7 days and 30 days post-enrollment
Proportion of participants who report storing fewer firearms in their homes at follow-up
Time Frame: Baseline, 7 days and 30 days post-enrollment
Description of participants who report storing fewer firearms in their homes during follow-up surveys compared to reported number of firearms at baseline
Baseline, 7 days and 30 days post-enrollment
Proportion of participants who report using a firearm safety storage device at follow-up
Time Frame: Baseline, 7 days and 30 days post-enrollment
Description of participants who report using any safe firearm storage device at follow-up, change in any safe firearm storage device use from baseline
Baseline, 7 days and 30 days post-enrollment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Neil Uspal, MD, Seattle Children's Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 12, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2019

Study Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 21, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 21, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

December 29, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 4, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 3, 2022

Last Verified

May 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 00000009

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

No

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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