Michael D Anestis

• Ph.D.
• Professor (Associate) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Using previous research, we examined the impact of 4 handgun laws (waiting periods, universal background checks, gun locks, and open carrying regulations) on suicide rates. We used publicly available databases to collect information on statewide laws, suicide rates, and demographic characteristics for 2013. Each law was associated with significantl...

Research supports a model in which emotionally dysregulated individuals are more likely to think about suicide and experience proximal risk factors for suicidal ideation (e.g., thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness). The drive to escape aversive affective sensations inherent in emotion dysregulation, however, serves as an obstacle to the...

We identified and analyzed a total of 92 studies, representing 167,894 suicide decedents, to determine if there is evidence to support what appears to be a widely held cultural, clinical, and scholarly view that many people who die by suicide had been drinking at the time of death. It was determined that, based on weighted averages, approximately 2...

It is widely accepted that suicidal behavior often occurs with little planning. We propose, however, that suicidal behavior is rarely if ever impulsive-that it is too frightening and physically distressing to engage in without forethought-and that suicidal behavior in impulsive individuals is accounted for by painful and fearsome behaviors capable...

Objective To identify firearm behaviors and perceptions that differentiate firearm owners with a history of suicidal thoughts from other firearm owners and from nonfirearm owners with a history of suicidal thoughts. Methods A nationally representative sample ( n = 8009) of adults residing in the United States completed a self‐report survey May 15–...

Objective Despite widespread support for various firearm policies, minimal progress has been made in enacting these policies. One potential explanation is the misperception of peer support for firearm policies among individuals with differing political beliefs. Methods A representative sample (n = 7529) of adults from nine states was recruited via...

Objective This study evaluates Black and AIAN individuals’ self-reported history of being screened for firearm access by healthcare providers, and identifies factors that influence screening. Methods A cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of included 3015 Black and 527 AIAN adults in the US. Participants were recruited via probability...

Importance: Defensive gun use (DGU) is cited as a rationale for permissive firearm-carrying policies; however, no consensus exists on how frequently DGU occurs. Objective: To examine the frequency of DGU relative to gun violence exposure (GVE) in a sample of firearm owners drawn from a nationally representative sample of US adults. Design, sett...

Background: This study examined if firefighters (an occupational group at elevated suicide risk) who have made a suicide plan involving a firearm reported higher suicidal intent than those whose plans did not involve a firearm. Methods: Participants included 173 firefighters (M [SD] age = 32.0 [9.9], 95.8% male) who reported having made a suicide p...

This cross-sectional study investigates frequency of screening for firearm access among patients by mental health care clinicians.

Introduction Service members with mental health difficulties and access to a firearm are at an increased risk for suicide. Mental healthcare providers are well‐positioned to discuss firearms and create safety plans; however, many service members do not seek treatment. This study aims to identify potential sociodemographic predictors of recent menta...

Introduction This study evaluated hypothetical participation in temporary voluntary removal of firearms from the home to reduce future suicide risk in 408 adult male firearm owners. Methods A delay discounting approach was applied to evaluate the degree to which these choices were influenced by two dimensions of reinforcer efficacy—delay and magni...

Background Secure firearm storage is a proposed method for reducing intentional and unintentional firearm injury and death among US military service members. However, little is known about suggested key messengers and optimal message content to promote secure firearm storage practices among at-risk US service members. This qualitative study focused...

Introduction This study aimed to adapt and expand an evidence‐based lethal means counseling intervention for peer‐delivery among firearm owning Veterans. We further sought to assess Veteran interventionists' fidelity to motivational interviewing (MI) in the context of the adapted intervention. Methods An iterative expert panel comprised of experts...

Objectives This study investigated whether honor ideology, or a belief that one’s reputation must be defended at all costs, is related to firearms ownership in soldiers. Methods N=301 active-duty soldiers completed online self-report measures in this cross-sectional study. Results Honor ideology was higher in soldiers who privately own a firearm...

This cross-sectional study analyzed the association between parents’ engagement with their children regarding responsible and safe firearm use and the security of firearm storage in their homes.

Introduction When experiencing suicidal thoughts, many individuals do not tell others, making it difficult to ensure suicide prevention resources reach those who need it. Methods The current study utilizes a large sample of US adults who have experienced suicidal ideation in their lifetime ( n = 1074) to examine predictors of disclosures. We also...

Introduction Self‐reliance, emotional control, and honor ideology may prevent help‐seeking when suicidal ideation emerges. Furthermore, these factors are associated with an increased likelihood of firearm ownership and unsecure storage, which could facilitate suicide attempts. The rurality of residence may impact these associations, as rural region...

We explore data from focus group interviews ( n = 25) and community surveys ( n = 630) to examine resident support for policies to reduce firearm injuries in a rural Pennsylvania county. The data highlights overwhelming community support for integrating firearms safety education for persons under the age of 18 years. Support for expanding safe stor...

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to examine a scalable secure firearm storage intervention in the U.S. National Guard (NG) in preventing firearm injury and suicide. A study among firearm-owning members of the Mississippi NG testing Project Safe Guard (PSG), a 10 to 15 min lethal means counseling intervention, found that PSG increased self-...

Objective To determine what firearm policies New Jersey residents believe will prevent school shootings and the extent to which this varies by sex, firearm ownership status, and political affiliation. Methods A representative sample of New Jersey residents (N = 1,018) was collected via the Eagleton Center on Public Interest Polling (ECPIP). Data w...

Objective To identify demographic and behavioral correlates of dangerous firearm storage (i.e., unlocked and loaded) among firearm owners in nine states. Methods Online survey data from the probability‐based sample were collected using Ipsos Knowledge Panel. Participants were adults residing in nine states across the United States ( n = 7785). Re...

Introduction Suicide is a major public health concern within the United States, and prevention efforts are essential for decreasing the suicide rate. Researchers and clinicians have knowledge and effective treatments for preventing suicide; however, their impact is limited to those with access to services. Science Communication (SciComm) is an effe...

Objectives To examine factors that differentiate firearm owners who endorse specific reasons for secure and unsecure firearm storage. Methods A subsample of firearm-owning adults (n = 3,119) drawn from a representative sample of adults (n = 7,785) residing in nine US states participated in an online survey. Results The most common reason for not...

To examine the differences in treatment seeking behaviors, previous suicidal thoughts, previous suicide attempts, and disclosure of suicidal thoughts among female service members (SM)/Veteran suicide decedents who used a firearm and those who used another method. Data was acquired from the National Violent Death Reporting System which is maintained...

This survey study examines the ability of firearm owners and nonowners to determine correct and incorrect cable lock use across different types of firearms.

The surge in firearm sales from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have been linked to increases in firearm violence, which is of public concern given that having firearms in one’s home is associated with increased risk for domestic violence and suicide. Consistent with pre-pandemic trends, individuals tended to purchase firearms for self-protectio...

Objective: The present study seeks to add to the existing literature by determining if having a plan for suicide, is associated with an individual's self-reported likelihood of attempting suicide in the future. Method: Data came from a sample of 97 United States Army personnel with past week ideation or lifetime attempt history. Assessments were...

Objectives To examine rankings of credible sources for discussing secure storage within a representative sample of firearm‐owning service members, and examine how combinations of demographic variables impact the ranking of credible sources. Methods The probability‐based sample was collected with the help of Ipsos. Participants were US service memb...

Introduction The US Department of Defense recommends lethal means safety counseling (LMSC) to promote firearm injury prevention via secure storage of personal firearms. We describe the rollout of a universal, peer‐delivered adaptation of Project Safe Guard (PSG)—a brief, single‐session LMSC discussion—at a US Space Force installation. Method Progr...

Background Suicide, especially by firearm, remains a leading cause of death in military populations in the USA. Reducing access to firearms, especially during high risk times, may help prevent suicide and other forms of violence. The purpose of this study was to adapt a promising existing lethal means safety intervention (Project Safe Guard, PSG) f...

Importance Black individuals are disproportionately exposed to gun violence in the US. Suicide rates among Black US individuals have increased in recent years. Objective To evaluate whether gun violence exposures (GVEs) are associated with suicidal ideation and behaviors among Black adults. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional s...

Introduction In the USA, an estimated 45% of veterans personally own firearms. Firearm access increases the risk of suicide, so suicide prevention efforts in the US Department of Defense (DoD) focus on lethal means safety, including reducing firearm access. Spouse input may enhance effective messaging and intervention delivery of lethal means safet...

Background Although secure firearm storage can prevent firearm injury and death, secure storage is relatively rare. This tendency may be driven in part by a perceived lack of utility for secure storage in preventing suicide and other gun violence‐related outcomes. Method We recruited a large ( n = 3510) representative sample of residents from five...

Objective This study seeks to better understand firearm ownership among law enforcement officers (LEO), with the goal of informing future firearm injury and suicide prevention efforts. We describe the frequency and sociodemographic correlates of firearm ownership and storage practices among, and examine the association between suicidal ideation and...

Pathological narcissism (PN) carries implications for mental health and treatment. Research indicates similar personality traits can influence risk factors and psychopathology, but no studies have examined the role of PN in how depressive symptoms impact suicide ideation (SI). We examined how PN factors (Grandiosity, Vulnerability) moderate the dep...

Background Firearm access and storage practices influence risk for injury and death; however, prior research has considered only national and regional differences on these variables, overlooking state-level differences. Objectives To analyse and describe statewide differences in firearm ownership, storage and use in a representative sample of five...

Purpose/Objective: People with disabilities (PWD) generally exhibit an increased risk of suicidal ideation (SI) and behaviors. Underlying cognitive states, namely perceived burdensomeness, have been identified as a contributor to the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in PWD. However, the role of body esteem in the development of SI...

Introduction: Veteran total and firearm suicide rates are higher compared to the general population. Among the general population, total and firearm suicide rates are higher in U.S. states deemed cultures of honor compared to non-honor states, likely because honor states have higher firearm ownership rates and fewer firearm laws. Considering that v...

Background Preventing firearm-involved injuries is a critical public health priority. Firearm locking devices can prevent firearm injuries, such as suicide and unintentional shootings, as well as theft. Various firearm locking devices exist; however, little is known about firearm owners’ preferred locking devices for secure firearm storage. In this...

Purpose This study utilized demographic and intrapersonal variables to identify individuals who may have falsely denied firearm ownership and determined if individuals can be divided into meaningful subgroups. Methods Participants were United States residents (N = 3500) recruited from January to June 2020. matched to the 2010 census data for age,...

Each year, firearms account for half of all the suicide deaths in the U.S. Research has shown that, worldwide, the most effective way to prevent suicide is so-called means safety: making the tools and methods of suicide less accessible and less lethal. In the U.S., research has shown, time and again, that access to firearms increases the risk for s...

The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial, experiential, and demographic correlates of firearm ownership, carrying, and storage methods. We used a representative survey of 3,510 people living in five US states (Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Texas) conducted in 2022. Individuals provided information on past experience...

Objective The present study sought to better understand the characteristics of those who own firearms in the Black community; and to understand how Black firearm owners differ from nonfirearm owning Black individuals on a variety of variables related to safety, threat concerns, and suicide risk. Methods Two samples were utilized in this study. The...

The firearm purchasing surge that began in 2020 has seen an unprecedented number of firearms purchased within the United States. The present study examined if those who purchased during the surge differed in their levels of threat sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty from firearm owners who did not purchase during the surge and from non-firea...

The U.S. Department of Defense and other stakeholders recommend lethal means safety counseling (LMSC) to reduce suicide risk among military service members. Despite the promise of LMSC, few studies have examined moderators of LMSC treatment outcomes, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Individuals with elevated PTSD symptoms are...

Objective: This study examined the extent to which political beliefs and public health behaviors cluster together and define distinct groups of individuals and whether those groups differ on firearm purchasing behaviors. Methods: 6,404 US residents (Minnesota, n = 1,789; Mississippi, n = 1,418; New Jersey, n = 3,197) were recruited via Qualtrics pa...

Firearms account for approximately half of all suicide deaths within the United States each year. Recently, Lane and Kleck published pieces reporting conflicting results regarding the relationship between firearm access and suicide rates. In this commentary, I aim to contextualize the findings within the broader literature and to provide clarity fo...

Background: Firearms account for over 40,000 deaths in the USA each year in addition to thousands of nonfatal injuries. One notable prevention strategy for firearm-related fatalities and nonfatal injuries is safe storage. Safe storage of firearms emphasizes using storage mechanisms that limit ready access of firearms to unauthorized users. Cable l...

Importance: Secure firearm storage may help reduce firearm injury and death. Broad implementation requires more granular assessments of firearm storage practices and greater clarity on circumstances that may prevent or promote the use of locking devices. Objective: To develop a more thorough understanding of firearm storage practices, obstacles...

Healthcare providers are well positioned to screen for firearm access to reduce risk of suicides, yet there is a limited understanding of how often and for whom firearm access screening occurs. The present study examined the extent to which providers screen for firearm access and sought to identify who has been screened in the past. The representat...

Objective: Understanding the sociocultural characteristics that are associated with US firearm owners' current storage practices and openness to means safety can inform suicide prevention initiatives. Masculinity, which is dominant within the US gun culture, may be a particularly salient factor that influences firearm ownership, storage practices,...

Introduction: Two-thirds of military suicides are by firearm, and unsafe storage increases the risk of suicide. Understanding who is at risk for suicide, their interactions with behavioral healthcare, and their firearm storage habits have implications for suicide prevention. Method: Probability-based sampling was used. Inclusion criteria were cu...

The U.S. DoD has identified firearm suicide prevention as a key operational priority. One vital approach to addressing firearm suicides is through promoting lethal means safety, which involves the voluntary use of secure storage for personally owned firearms and/or temporarily moving firearms out of the home during risk periods. Despite promising a...

Suicide-specific rumination, a repetitive mental fixation on one’s suicidal thoughts and intentions, may influence the transition from suicidal thoughts to behaviors. Research on suicide-specific rumination has been hindered by the lack of an independent measurement tool. This article presents the development and validation of a self-report measure...

This study describes the type of firearm used and location of bodily injury among demographic subgroups of suicide decedents. Data on those who died by suicide via firearm from the National Violent Death Reporting System (N = 117,126) between the years 2003–2018 was utilized. A series of five logistic regression analyses examining the age of decede...

The present study is an examination of laypersons’ preferences regarding therapists with lived mental health experiences. Specifically, we investigated participants’ preferences for a treatment with a therapist who has sought personal therapy, experienced suicidal ideation, or made a suicide attempt. Additionally, we explored how participants’ pers...

Objective: Veterinarians die by suicide at elevated rates. Higher levels of capability for suicide among veterinarians, including access to lethal medications, may account for this discrepancy. This study aimed to determine the importance of accessibility of lethal medications in veterinary workplaces in the relationship between recent suicidal id...

Importance: Nearly two-thirds of military suicides involve firearms, and safe firearm storage is rare. Objective: To examine whether US military service members endorse greater openness to safe firearm storage depending on the content of the visual message they are randomly assigned to view. Design, setting, and participants: This comparative...

Introduction: Despite representing fewer than 5% of suicide attempts, firearms account for over half of deaths. Yet there is little clinical information regarding firearm attempts, particularly survivors. We assessed clinical factors differentiating firearm suicide survivors from decedents, firearm attempters from other methods, and firearm attemp...

Background Disability status is associated with correlates of suicide risk (perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, negative future disposition, felt stigma, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts). Aims This study aimed to examine whether suicide‐related correlates differ significantly as a function of disability type. Methods Individ...

Introduction: Suicide models propose that the capability for suicide, such as fearlessness about death (FAD), is necessary for the transition from suicidal desire to a suicide attempt. Most studies have relied on self-report methods to assess FAD. However, this research has produced equivocal results. As individuals may have limited awareness of l...

Objective: Firearm sales in the U.S. have surged throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Consistent with pre-pandemic trends, individuals tended to purchase firearms for self-protection during COVID-19. In addition to perceptions of both general and pandemic-specific threats motivating protective ownership, this form of ownership is also motivated by tho...

Objective: To identify and verify classes of firearm owners that exist within the United States and determine the sources that classes deemed credible to discuss firearm safety for suicide prevention. Methods: The study is composed of two parts. Part 1 (N = 1018) utilizes a nationally representative sample of firearm owners. Part 2 (N = 1064) co...

Importance: Understanding mental health and substance use treatment seeking and suicidality among suicide decedents is important to determine prevention efforts. Objective: To evaluate differences in treatment seeking and suicidality between suicide decedents who died by firearms and those who died by other methods. Design, setting, and partici...

The present study sought to determine the extent to which the message or messenger is more important for news media portrayal of gun violence prevention. Exploratory analyses also examined factors related to Fox News and MSNBC credibility. Participants (N = 3,500) were US adults matched to the 2010 US Census on several demographic variables. Two mo...

Previous research has linked unsafe firearm storage practices and other ownership-related characteristics to key factors that facilitate the transition from suicidal thoughts to suicidal behaviors (i.e., acquired capability for suicide). This research has not investigated the extent to which firearm owners store firearms in their vehicles, a factor...

Shame aversion has been theorized to motivate aggression against the self or others as means of down-regulating shame. Additionally, the direction of aggression may depend on tendencies to attribute blame or causes internally or externally. Data from two separate samples were used to examine shame aversion and its interaction with causal or blame a...

Objective This study examined if essential workers (EW) reported higher past month suicidal ideation (SI) and coronavirus‐19 (COVID‐19) stress than non‐EW, explored if the association between EW status and SI is indirect through COVID stress, and tested whether EW who identified as black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) experienced more pas...

Importance Firearm access is associated with risk for suicide, and, since early 2020, the US has experienced an unprecedented surge in firearm sales. Objective To assess frequency of suicidal ideation among individuals who purchased firearms during the surge period (surge purchasers), other firearm owners, and non–firearm owners. Design, Setting,...

Objective The present study seeks to determine differences in lifetime suicidal ideation, dispositional capability, acquired capability, and practical capability among those who have and have not served as first responders, and among subgroups of first responders. Methods Data were collected as part of a large online (n = 3,500) study seeking to u...

Rationale In 2020 the U.S. saw a firearm purchasing surge that was synchronous with the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and notable community unrest. Extant literature has highlighted a potential cohort effect among 2020 firearm purchasers and the importance of characterizing these individuals to inform policy and interventions. Disposi...

This study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify differing classes of psychopathic traits in a large sample of military personnel (90.7% Army National Guard) and examined how membership across profiles can be differentiated by mean scores on external correlates relevant to psychopathy and/or to military service (e.g., aggression, posttraum...

Objective: White men in U.S. cultures of honor die by suicide at greater rates than other demographic groups. This finding has been attributed to factors such as the prevalence and use of firearms in men's suicide in honor states, as well as motivational risk factors (e.g., thwarted belongingness). Other features of honor cultures (e.g., physical...

To prevent suicidal behaviors, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms and processes that enable an individual to act on suicidal thoughts. Suicide capability, which involves an increased pain tolerance and fearlessness of death, is a critical factor that enables an individual to endure the physical pain necessary to make a lethal suicide attemp...

This present study sought to examine how demographics and the availability of means for suicide converge to impact method selection between firearms and hanging, which are the two most lethal and commonly used methods for suicide in the United States. Data were collected as part of a larger online study that gathered information about suicide deced...

Objective The present study sought to determine which painful and provocative events differentiated those with suicidal ideation from those who attempted suicide. Additionally, it presents a novel way of utilizing the Painful and Provocative Scale (PPES) by looking at items dichotomously as experienced or not experienced, instead of the frequency a...

Objective: Given that the majority of those who die by suicide are male, masculine traits have been examined as a potential link to the development of capability for suicide. However, research has not examined if such traits influence suicidal desire (i.e., thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness). This study examined the influence of ste...

There is a need to identify the subset of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms at greatest risk for transitioning from suicidal ideation to a suicide attempt. Contemporary models of suicide risk propose that the capability for suicide is necessary for moving from suicidal ideation to a suicide attempt. Few studies have ex...

Objective The present study sought to determine if among a sample of firearm owning suicide decedents, the type and number of firearms owned was associated with dying by suicide using a firearm compared to another method. Method Data were collected as part of a larger online study that gathered information on suicide decedents and the context surr...

Background: Preliminary evidence suggests firearm availability may increase the risk for suicide ideation and attempts, two common precursors to suicide death. Little is known about which aspects of firearm availability may account for this association. The primary purpose of this study was to examine associations among multiple dimensions of firea...

Background Agitation is an important transdiagnostic factor for several mental health disorders and a significant risk factor for dangerous or maladaptive coping behaviors. How an individual responds to experiences of agitation itself may also play a crucial role in conferring risk towards maladaptive behaviors. Specifically, ruminating on high aro...

This study sought to determine differences in preferred messengers on the topic of safe firearm storage and suicide prevention between firearm owners and non-firearm owners, and among firearm owners of different racial groups and sexes. Participants were 6200 United States residents recruited via Qualtrics Panels to complete an online survey. Data...

Objective The U.S. suicide rate has increased 35% since 1999. The role of the Internet has not been thoroughly investigated despite Internet use more than doubling from 1999 to present. The majority of U.S. suicide deaths are by firearm; however, there is no examination of the association between trends in firearm Internet searches and overall and...

Firearm sales have surged during COVID-19, raising concerns about a coming wave of suicide deaths. Little is known, however, about the individuals considering acquiring firearms during the pandemic. Recent research has highlighted that individuals considering acquiring firearms may be motivated by exaggerated threat expectancies. In a sample of 3,5...

Objectives. To examine whether lethal means counseling and provision of cable locks prompt safe firearm storage relative to control among firearm-owning members of the Mississippi National Guard. Methods. This randomized controlled trial utilized a 2 × 2 factorial design (lethal means counseling vs control, provision of cable locks vs no cable lock...

Introduction: To examine positive and negative affective processes associated with firearm acquisition and firearm ownership. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey assessing firearm ownership, reasons for firearm ownership, intentions to acquire a firearm in the next 12 months, and positive and negative affective states was administered to 6,20...

Firearm availability is correlated with increased suicide mortality. Some firearm owners may be more vulnerable to suicide than others, but heterogeneity among firearm owners has received little empirical attention. The present study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify subgroups of firearm owners who keep firearms primarily for protection...