Loneliness and secure firearm storage: findings from a national sample of low-income US military veterans

Military veterans are a population that is disproportionately exposed to loneliness and firearm suicide in the USA. While some studies have begun to identify loneliness as a psychological factor related to unsecured firearm storage (ie, storing firearms loaded and/or unlocked) among the general population, little is known about how loneliness may relate to firearm storage practices among veterans.

Data were from firearm-owning veterans who participated in the 2025 wave of the National Veteran Homeless and Other Poverty Experiences study, a national survey of veterans living in households with incomes below 300% of the federal poverty level in the USA (n=626). Covariate-adjusted multiple logistic regression models were estimated to examine the relationship between self-reported loneliness and secure firearm storage.

Overall, 47.4% of respondents reported always storing firearms locked and unloaded when not in use. A one-point increase in the University of California, Los Angeles 3-item Loneliness Scale (range 0-6) was associated with a lower likelihood of reporting secure firearm storage (aOR=0.862, 95% CI (0.767 to 0.969)). Supplemental analyses indicated that feelings of social isolation were particularly associated with lower odds of secure firearm storage.

Among low-income US military veterans, loneliness was associated with a lower likelihood of storing firearms locked and unloaded. Interventions that promote both social connectedness and secure firearm storage may help improve safety and reduce suicide risk among veterans.