Safer firearm storage for teens after a psychiatric hospital stay
Safer Still
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · RESEARCH INST NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSP · NIH-11139604
This project uses friendly digital nudges to help parents who own guns store them more safely after their teen leaves a psychiatric hospital.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | RESEARCH INST NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSP (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (COLUMBUS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11139604 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
When a teen leaves an inpatient psychiatric unit, their parents will be offered a program called “Safer Still” that sends short, behaviorally-designed messages and options through technology to encourage safer firearm storage without adding extra clinic visits. The team will work with parents who report having firearms and unsafe storage practices to offer practical options like locking devices or temporary off-site storage. The work is done in two phases to refine the messages and test how well the approach reduces unsafe storage and fits into routine hospital care. Hospital clinicians will continue usual care while the intervention is delivered mostly through automated technology.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Parents or guardians of adolescents recently discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospital who live in a home with firearms and report unlocked or otherwise accessible storage.
Not a fit: Families without firearms, those who already store firearms securely, or adolescents not recently hospitalized are unlikely to benefit from this specific intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower the risk of suicide among recently hospitalized adolescents by reducing access to firearms during a very high-risk time.
How similar studies have performed: Behavioral 'nudge' approaches have helped change other health behaviors, but technology-based programs specifically promoting safe firearm storage after psychiatric hospitalization are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
COLUMBUS, UNITED STATES
- RESEARCH INST NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSP — COLUMBUS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BRIDGE, JEFFREY A — RESEARCH INST NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSP
- Study coordinator: BRIDGE, JEFFREY A
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.