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Project Safe Guard-Trauma

Project Safe Guard-Trauma (PSG-T): A Randomized Controlled Trial of Counseling to Promote a Secure Home Environment

Who can join

Ages 18 and older · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* Aged 18+ years
* Firearm owner
* History of one or more victimization traumas per the Life Events Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) (LEC-5), defined as having directly experienced physical assault, sexual assault, combat, and/or captivity
* Positive posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screen on the Primary Care PTSD Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5)
* Willing to provide physical location at time of Zoom sessions
* Willing to keep Zoom camera on during study sessions
* Ability to read, write, and speak English

Exclusion Criteria:

* Currently stores all personal firearms unloaded and locked
* Active psychosis or acute mania necessitating clinical intervention
* Acute thoughts of self- or other-harm necessitating imminent clinical intervention (e.g., hospitalization)
* Unable to provide informed consent

About the study

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to determine if a counseling intervention, Project Safe Guard-Trauma (PSG-T), increases secure firearm storage practices in adults who screen positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The main questions this study aims to answer are:

* Does PSG-T lead to more secure firearm storage practices? * Does PSG-T increase knowledge about the link between firearm storage practices and suicide risk? * Does PSG-T increase intentions to store firearms securely?

Researchers will compare PSG-T to a control, Project Safe Guard (PSG), which is a counseling intervention that does not focus on the potential influence of PTSD symptoms on firearm storage practices. This will help to determine if PSG-T works better than PSG to increase secure firearm storage in adults with elevated PTSD symptoms.

Participants will:

* Complete a baseline survey * Receive the counseling intervention * Complete a survey immediately after the intervention and at 1-, 3-, and 6-months following the intervention

What is being tested

• Project Safe Guard - Trauma (behavioral)
• Project Safe Guard (behavioral)

Sponsor: University of Colorado, Denver · Participants: 168 · Started: May 15, 2025

Contact the study team

• Ian Stanley, PhD · Phone: 720-848-6777
• Julia Finn, MPH · Phone: (303) 653-6000

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06876740

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.