Firearm availability has traditionally been conceptualized as an environmental risk factor for suicide mortality. Firearm acquisition for the primary purpose of self-protection (i.e., protective gun ownership) is often motivated by exaggerated threat expectancies—a central component of anticipatory anxiety—but firearm acquisition may paradoxically reinforce or exacerbate threat expectancies and contribute to behavioral disinhibition. Firearm ownership may therefore confer increased risk for suicide mortality through biobehavioral mechanisms. The present study conducted an initial test of this hypothesis by examining associations among firearm ownership, intentions to acquire additional firearms, threat expectancies, and past-month suicidal thoughts and behaviors using data collected from a national sample of 6200 U.S. adults. Results indicated threat expectancies and rates of suicide-related behaviors were significantly elevated among protective gun owners and participants who intended to acquire a firearm within the next year as compared to non-gun owners and non-protective gun owners. Threat expectancies were associated with significantly increased risk for past-month suicide-related behavior. Results suggest that threat expectancies in particular, and anticipatory anxiety more generally, may be biobehavioral processes associated with the correlation of firearm ownership and increased suicide risk.

传统上将枪支供应量概念化为自杀死亡的环境风险因素。出于自我保护（即拥有保护性的枪支）的主要目的而购置枪支通常是由夸大的威胁预期（预期焦虑的重要组成部分）推动的，但是购置枪支可能反常地增强或加剧威胁预期，并助长了行为抑制。因此，拥有枪支可能会通过生物行为机制使自杀死亡的风险增加。本研究通过使用全国6200名美国成年人样本收集的数据，研究了枪支拥有权，购买额外枪支的意图，威胁预期以及过去一个月的自杀念头和行为之间的关联，从而对该假设进行了初步检验。结果表明，与非枪支拥有者和非保护性枪支拥有者相比，保护性枪支拥有者和打算在明年内购买枪支的参与者的威胁预期和自杀相关行为的比率大大提高。威胁预期与上个月自杀相关行为的风险显着增加有关。结果表明，尤其是威胁的预期以及更普遍的预期焦虑可能是与枪支所有权和自杀风险增加相关的生物行为过程。威胁预期与上个月自杀相关行为的风险显着增加有关。结果表明，尤其是威胁的预期以及更普遍的预期焦虑可能是与枪支所有权和自杀风险增加相关的生物行为过程。威胁预期与上个月自杀相关行为的风险显着增加有关。结果表明，特别是威胁的预期以及更普遍的预期焦虑可能是与枪支所有权和自杀风险增加相关的生物行为过程。