The Impact of Job Strain on Occupational Access to Firearms and Firearm-Related Suicide Among US Workers

Details

• Journal Article:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• Personal Author:
  Soupene, Victor A. ; Davis, Jonathan ; Cavanaugh, Joseph E. ; Platt, Jonathan M. ; Romitti, Paul A. ; Casteel, Carri
• Description:
  Introduction: Firearm-related suicide rates are notably high among workers such as police officers and farmers. One risk factor is occupational access to firearms, but other occupational characteristics, such as job strain, are less understood. This study examined the impact of job strain on the association between occupational access to firearms and firearm-related suicide. Methods: This cross-sectional study used National Violent Death Reporting System data for 2013-2019 (n = 81,196). The outcome was firearm-related suicides, which were compared to suicides by other lethal means. The exposures included workers who used firearms as part of their job. Job strain was measured through the combination of job demand and job control measures. Job strain served as an effect modifier of the association between occupational access to firearms and firearm-related suicide. Adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models, with stratified analyses for biological sex. Results: Working in a high-strain job (characterized by high job demands and low job control) significantly increased the odds of firearm-related suicide for both male (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.9, 3.0) and female (OR = 4.0, 95% CI: 2.4, 6.5) decedents, compared to those with no occupational access to firearms and working in low-strain jobs (characterized by low job demands and high job control). Discussion: Reducing job strain in occupations with access to firearms may help decrease firearm-related suicides. Future research should explore the role of social support and additional individual-level factors, including access to personal firearms and the temporality of psychosocial factors related to occupation.
• Subjects:
  Firearms Mental Health Occupational Health Occupational Stress Safety Suicide
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Access To Lethal Means; Firearms; Occupation Stress; Suicide Firearms; Suicide; Job Stress; Cross Sectional Studies; Mental Health; Epidemiology; Psychosocial Factors; Occupations;
• Source:
  Am J Ind Med 2026 Apr; :[Epub ahead of print]
• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; Kansas City Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  12 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071405
• Contact Point Address:
  Victor A. Soupene, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
• Email:
  victor-soupene@uiowa.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7fac4774a4f31f5539bba712a1d21cdc9a758204bd654446a815af67cc9dd48f65edf1ab18d842ad65556b0dbc0d4c6ac3ad938aa25b54b7f730d1fe37b3db58
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259005/cdc_259005_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 468.94 KB ]