An interventional study of WAV videos and VA News videos in Lethal Means Safety, sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-13.
Sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
Among 20 studies in Suicide Prevention by VA Office of Research and Development — 11 open to participants now, 12 under way, none of them phase 3. Suicide Prevention · VA Office of Research and Development.
Among the 20 studies in Suicide Prevention by VA Office of Research and Development, this one is the 4th largest by planned enrollment, is one of 3 that started in 2027, is one of 18 with no phase, reaches primary completion later than 7 of the 11 other live ones, and was the 20th registered.
186 studies on the registry are indexed under Suicide Prevention; 92 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 654 is above the median of 140 across 167 interventional studies indexed under Suicide Prevention.
Browse Suicide Prevention studies →11 of the 20 studies in Suicide Prevention by VA Office of Research and Development are open now, in 1 country. Each count lists the studies.
Of the 53 Suicide Prevention studies recruiting now, 27 (51%) set no upper age limit and 22 (42%) stop at 75 or younger; 25 take children under 18; 20 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 18 Years and older · all sexes · healthy volunteers too.
The full table on the hub →20 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2013; this study’s year is marked. 3 started in 2027.
Median enrollment 120 across the 20 interventional studies. Of the 7 that completed or were terminated, 6 (86%) have results posted.
VA Office of Research and Development is the lead sponsor of 1,771 studies on the registry; 392 are open to participants now.
Of its 213 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 185 (87%) have results posted.
3 of the studies in Suicide Prevention by VA Office of Research and Development that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT06470867VA Office of Research and DevelopmentRandomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial of VA S.A.V.E. | 2026-11-27 |
| NCT05995678VA Office of Research and DevelopmentA Mixed Methods Pilot Trial of the STEP Home Workshop to Improve Reintegration and Reduce Suicide Risk for Recently Transitioned Veterans | 2027-05-31 |
| NCT07356492VA Office of Research and DevelopmentExpanding Veteran Sponsorship Initiative+ to Support High-Risk Transitioning Servicemembers and Veterans: A Precision Medicine Approach | 2027-09-30 |
Among the 20 studies in Suicide Prevention by VA Office of Research and Development, from their registry updates:
Family and friends are trusted by Veterans, and can play a vital role in supporting Veteran suicide prevention. Veterans are more likely to adopt secure firearm storage if their loved ones discuss firearm safety with them and if they are exposed to compelling personal stories. "Worried About a Veteran" (WAV) is an online resource that contains 13 powerful, video-based vignettes designed to empower loved ones to initiate life-saving conversations about safeguarding firearms in the homes of Veterans at risk for suicide. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of WAV in encouraging loved ones to discuss safe firearm storage with Veterans.
Significance to VA: Firearms are involved in 71% of Veteran suicides. Lethal means safety (LMS)-the intentional practice of limiting access to lethal means, such as firearms, to reduce suicide risk-is key to Veteran suicide prevention. Veterans are more likely to adopt secure firearm storage if their loved ones discuss firearm safety with them and if they are exposed to compelling personal stories. Worried About a Veteran (WAV) is a novel, acceptable intervention that includes 13 compelling, Veteran-centered video vignettes about secure firearm storage told from the perspective of Veterans' loved ones. WAV has not undergone formal evaluation and awareness of WAV has been limited. VA Office of Suicide Prevention has called for strategies to support and amplify messaging on LMS.
Innovation and Impact: LMS approaches that leverage loved ones are lacking, which makes WAV unique. Knowledge generated about loved ones' firearms discussions and behaviors further enhances project impact.
Specific Aim: Evaluate the impact of WAV videos on behavioral outcomes related to safe storage of household firearms. Hypotheses are: 1) Exposure to WAV videos will be associated with talking with Veterans about safe firearm storage by end of trial, compared to the active or inactive control; and 2) Exposure to WAV videos will be associated with safe firearm storage practices by end of trial, compared to the active or inactive control.
Methodology: Using a social media campaign, loved ones of Veterans with household firearms will be recruited, randomized to multiple exposures to WAV videos, VA News videos (inactive control), or an electronic copy of a VA LMS brochure (active control), and changes will be evaluated over 8 weeks in discussing safe firearm storage with Veterans (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes will include firearm storage practices, knowledge, intentions, and attitudes.
Path to Translation/Implementation: WAV videos are freely accessible online, making the intervention ideal for large-scale implementation. Next steps may include using the intervention in suicide prevention campaign efforts led by the Office of Suicide Prevention and facilitating use by community-based military and Veteran organizations that have expressed interest in WAV. Project methods can also be applied to other Veteran health issues.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
WAV videos
Behavioral: WAV videos
VA News videos
Behavioral: VA News videos
VA educational brochure on lethal means safety
Behavioral: VA LMS brochure
13 "Worried About a Veteran" video vignettes. The videos are brief (\< 3 minutes), professionally developed, and involve vignettes of Veterans' family members that teach warning signs of suicidal crisis, practical guidance for LMS, and how to collaboratively discuss lethal means and secure storage.
VA News videos range in topic, such as VA benefits, research highlights, and Veteran interest stories (e.g., Veteran hockey league). Videos will be current at the time of study launch and unrelated to firearms and suicide prevention.
2-page VA educational brochure on lethal means safety (LMS). The brochure is titled "Reducing Firearm and Other Household Safety Risks for Veterans and Their Families," and it provides information on the importance of reducing access to lethal means such as firearms and medications for individuals at risk of suicide.
Discussions of safe firearm storage
Yes/No question about whether they recently discussed safe firearm storage with a Veteran. Answering "Yes" indicates a better outcome. If they answer in the affirmative, they will be asked follow-up questions to gauge frequency, mode (e.g., by phone, text, in-person), length, number of Veterans, and outcome of the conversation(s) (i.e., behavior change). Higher frequency and longer length of conversations, larger number of Veterans spoken to, and behavior change indicate successful discussions of safe firearm storage.
Time frame: 8 week follow-up
Firearm storage practices
Series of Yes/No/Not sure questions about the participants' personal firearms storage practices and practices in the Veteran. First, it will be determined if there is any access in or around the home (e.g., "kept in a garage, outdoor storage area, or motor vehicle") and the number of firearms. For individuals with access to firearms, subsequent questions will assess whether all firearms are stored safely: a) locked (defined as needing a "key or a combination or a hand/fingerprint to get the gun or to fire it"), b) loaded, and/or c) stored separately from ammunition. Safe firearm storage practices (locked, unloaded, and stored separately from ammunition) indicate a better outcome.
Time frame: 8 week follow-up
Knowledge of firearm injury/suicide
Five-item series of True/False questions on risks associated with access to lethal means, including unsecured firearms, and awareness of firearm injury and firearm suicide. Responses are totaled across all five items, ranging from 0 to 5, with a correct response receiving a score of "1." Higher scores indicate greater knowledge of lethal means safety and secure firearm storage.
Time frame: 8 week follow-up
Attitudes
Eight-item scale of attitudes toward discussing safe firearm storage adapted from the Perceptions about Services Scale (PASS). Responses are rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale. A mean score (range 1 to 7) is calculated across all items, with higher scores indicating a better attitude towards suicide prevention and safe firearm storage discussions.
Time frame: 8 week follow-up
Norms
Four-item scale of descriptive (i.e., what others think/do) and injunctive (i.e., what close others want me to think/do) norms related to discussing safe firearm storage adapted from the Perceptions about Services Scale (PASS). Responses are rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale. A mean score (range 1 to 7) is calculated across all items, with higher scores indicating stronger perceived norms supporting discussions about safe firearm storage.
Time frame: 8 week follow-up
Perceived behavioral control
Three-item scale of capability and confidence related to discussing safe firearm storage adapted from the Perceptions about Services Scale (PASS). Responses are rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale. A mean score (range 1 to 7) is calculated across all items, with higher scores indicating greater capability and confidence related to safe firearm storage discussions.
Time frame: 8 week follow-up
Behavioral intentions
Three-item scale of intentions to discuss safe firearm storage with Veterans in the next month adapted from the Perceptions about Services Scale (PASS). Responses are rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale. A mean score (range 1 to 7) is calculated across all items, with higher scores indicating stronger intentions to discuss safe firearm storage.
Time frame: 8 week follow-up
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Jul 2027; primary completion for Feb 2029, 19 months later.
Of 127 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Suicide Prevention, half reached primary completion within 28 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 53. This study's planned 19 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 129 studies reached it within 28 months; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 53.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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