Nonresponse to an item assessing firearm ownership: Associations with suicide risk and emotional distress

Firearms account for more than half of suicide deaths in the United States (US) and both ownership and access are associated with increased risk of intentional and unintentional injury. Despite evidence linking ownership and access to suicide risk, individuals may be reticent to answer questionnaire items assessing ownership. The current study examined characteristics of individuals who do not provide a response (nonresponders) to a firearm ownership item in a community sample.