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Teen and caregiver views on lethal means counselling

“It’s Just So Important to Make Them Feel Seen”: Teen and Caregiver Perspectives of Lethal Means Safety Planning for the Emergency Department
Annals of Emergency Medicine · Added 27 July 2026

Lethal means safety counseling is an essential, high-yield component of suicide prevention.

Study type

Qualitative

Design

Qualitative semistructured interview study

Participants

33 interviews (19 caregivers, 14 teens) at a tertiary children's hospital ED

Main finding

Themes: lethal means safety counselling helps families feel cared for; tool elements should use technology, equity, plain supportive language and actionable plans; family dynamics and balancing teen autonomy are barriers.

Caveat

Single paediatric ED; participants mostly White, women and English-speaking, limiting generalisability.

Bottom line

Context only

Learning goal

Refine how I deliver lethal means safety counselling with teenagers and their families during mental health presentations.

More

• Topic: Mental health (patients)
• Daily scan: 27 July 2026

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