In this issue: When we talk about gun violence, we often focus on the acute physical wounds that bullets leave behind, yet the psychological trauma from gun violence persists, ever present for those who experience it. As national firearm-related death rates continue to rise, so does the burden on our collective mental health, especially for those who survive, witness, or lose someone to gun violence. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to call attention to these sometimes-hidden outcomes.
Suicide is a leading cause of death of 10- to 19-year-olds in the United States.1 Firearms were used in 48% of suicides of 15- to 19-year-olds and in 38% of suicides of 10- to 14-year-olds in 2020.1 During the COVID-19 pandemic, gun sales surged, leading to increases in household firearm ownership,
Mass shootings are a source of shared anguish and outrage among Americans and are becoming more frequent. Extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), also known as gun violence restraining orders or “red flag” laws, are designed to help prevent these shootings. Our experts note that:
“California has taken a big step to address the scourge of gun violence. A new state law will allow scientists to generate the evidence that legislators and community leaders need to design violence prevention programs that work...” Continue reading
“Firearm violence is a pervasive and uniquely American problem. Our firearm homicide rate is 25 times higher than that of similarly large and wealthy countries, despite comparable rates of crime overall...” Continue reading
“As the coronavirus pandemic begins to wane in the U.S., a number of public mass shootings have once again reminded us of the epidemic of gun violence in our country. The FedEx shooting in Indianapolis, the massage parlor shooting in Atlanta, and the Boulder supermarket shooting were only a few of the 160 mass shootings (defined as four or more people killed) in the first four months of 2021.
“Some leaders are calling for an end to stay-at-home orders to save the economy, while public health experts argue this will result in a surge of COVID deaths. The implication is that we have to choose between a financial crisis and a public health crisis, and that lives are more important than money. But economic crises are public health crises. Unemployment, lack of education, poverty, and homelessness kill people, too.
