Testa, Tsai publish study showing significant link between loneliness and firearm acquisition among low-income U.S. veterans

A recent study, conducted by Alexander Testa, PhD, and Jack Tsai, PhD, delves into the connection between loneliness and firearm acquisition among low-income U.S. military veterans. Published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, the study addresses the gap in research regarding the potential link between loneliness and the decision to purchase firearms.

The researchers collected data from a national survey conducted in December 2022 and January 2023, involving 1,004 low-income U.S. veterans. Utilizing Firth logistic regression, a method designed to address biases in small-sample studies, the study aimed to explore the association between loneliness and firearm acquisition in the past year.

“Loneliness was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of purchasing a firearm in the past year,” Testa said. “To put the findings in context, loneliness was measured on a scale of zero to six, and the findings showed that 13.7% of persons with a loneliness score of six had purchased a new firearm in the past year, compared to 5.1% of persons with a loneliness score of zero.”

Among the key findings, approximately 5.4% of all respondents reported purchasing a new firearm within the past year. The study reveals a positive association between loneliness and recent firearm acquisition, even after controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and household variables.

“There are public health concerns about social isolation and safe firearm ownership as separate issues among veterans, and this study highlights a potential important connection between the two,” Tsai said. “Helping address one issue may affect the other, and it’ll be worthwhile to examine this further and determine whether this connection also exists among other adults.”

The authors also mentioned in this study the potential risks associated with both loneliness and firearm ownership, including veteran suicide. Testa and Tsai’s findings show the necessity of targeted interventions to address loneliness and promote safe firearm practices within the veteran community, and may contribute valuable insights for future efforts to improve the mental health and well-being of U.S. military veterans.