Gun ownership, poverty, and mental health associations with crime: A cross-state comparison

2021 ◽  
pp. 174889582110604
Author(s):  
Sven Smith ◽  
Christopher J Ferguson ◽  
Robert Askew ◽  
Jonathan Pitts ◽  
Alan Hinderleider
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Violent Crime ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
State Level ◽  
Past Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gun Ownership ◽  
Violent Crimes ◽  
Physical Attack ◽  
Health Disorders

Violent crime is a concern in the United States. Past research has suggested different correlates, including poverty, mental health disorders and the presence of guns. One particular theory, named the facilitation hypothesis, states that firearms enhance the power of an aggressor, they reduce the necessity of a physical attack, and encourage those who may not otherwise resort to violence. We look at various social factors and their relationship regarding different indicators of violent crime. We find that at the state level, gun ownership is correlated with violent crimes and income inequality with homicides specifically and we find support for the facilitation hypothesis. Future public policies which target these issues appear likely to bear fruit toward the goal of reducing crime.

scholarly journals Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Black-White Child Poverty Gap in the United States

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Parolin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Single Mother ◽  
Child Poverty ◽  
State Level ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Black Children ◽  
The United States ◽  
White Child ◽  
Reduction Effect ◽  
Temporary Assistance

Black children in the United States are more than twice as likely as white children to live in poverty. While past research has primarily attributed this phenomenon to the family structure of black children, this paper investigates how state-level heterogeneity in social assistance programs contributes to the black-white child poverty gap. I find that racial inequities in states’ administration of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program contributed to the impoverishment of approximately 256,000 black children per year from 2012-2014. State-year panel data demonstrates that states with larger percentages of black residents are less likely to prioritize the ‘provision of cash assistance’ but more likely to allocate funds toward the ‘discouragement of lone motherhood.’ Neutralizing inequities in states’ TANF spending priorities would reduce the black-white child poverty gap by up to 15 percent – comparable to the reduction effect of moving all children in single-mother households to two-parent households.

Tonsillectomy Outcomes among Children with Mental Health Disorders in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (5) ◽  
pp. 754-760
Author(s):  
Yann-Fuu Kou ◽  
Cynthia Wang ◽  
Gopi B. Shah ◽  
Ron B. Mitchell ◽  
Romaine F. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Postoperative Complications ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Disorder ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Lengths Of Stay ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
National Databases

Objectives Recent evidence suggests that children with mental health disorders are more likely to have postoperative complications. Our aim was to determine if mental health disorders affect postoperative complications after tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy (T&A). Setting Cross-sectional analysis of national databases. Subjects and Methods The 2006 to 2016 Kids Inpatient Database and the 2014 Nationwide Readmission Database were used to identify children (age <21 years) who underwent T&A. We compared children with mental health disorders (eg, autism, developmental delays, or mood disorders) to those without a mental health disorder. We contrasted gender, race, length of stay, complications, and 30-day readmissions. Results We estimated that 37,386 children underwent T&A, and there were 2138 (5.7%) diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Children with mental health disorders were older (6.0 vs 5.3 years, P < .001), more commonly males (64% vs 58%, P < .001), had a longer length of stay (3.4 days vs 2.3 days, P < .001), and had higher total charges even after controlling for length of stay ($19,000 vs $14,000, P < .001). Children with a mental health disorder were more likely to have a complication (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 3.4; P < .001) including intubation, mechanical ventilation, or both (OR = 3.3; 95% CI, 2.6 to 3.8; P < .001). The 30-day all-cause readmission rate was higher (12% vs 4.0%, P < .001). Conclusion Children with mental health disorders, especially development delays, have more frequent complications, longer lengths of stay, and readmissions than children without mental health disorders. This information should be included in preoperative counseling.

Facility and state-level factors associated with telemental health (TMH) adoption among mental health facilities in the United States

2019 ◽  
pp. 1357633X1986890 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohui Zhao ◽  
Kim E Innes ◽  
Sandipan Bhattacharjee ◽  
Nilanjana Dwibedi ◽  
Traci M LeMasters ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Telemental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Substance Abuse Disorders

Introduction Telemental health (TMH) is a promising approach to increase access to mental healthcare. This study examined the TMH adoption rates and associations with facility- and state-level factors among US mental health (MH) facilities. Methods This retrospective, cross-sectional study used linked data for 2016 from the National Mental Health Services Survey ( N = 11,833), Area Health Resources File, and national reports for broadband access and telehealth policies. The associations of facility and state-level characteristics with TMH adoption were examined with multi-level logistic regressions. Results Overall, 25.9% had used TMH. Having veteran affiliation [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 18.53, 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI): 10.66–32.21] and greater Information Technology (IT) capacity [AOR(95%CI): 2.89(2.10–3.98)] were the strongest correlates of TMH adoption. Other facility characteristics associated with higher likelihood of TMH adoption were: public ownership, high patient volumes, having comprehensive MH treatments or Quality Improvement practices, having private or non-Medicaid public payers, and treating elderly patients (AORs: 1.16–2.41). TMH adoption was less likely among facilities treating more African Americans or patients with substance abuse disorders. TMH adoption varied substantially across states, with adoption more likely in states issuing special telehealth licences and those with more rural counties. Discussion One in four MH facilities adopted TMH in 2016. TMH adoption varied by multiple facility- and state-level factors. Our findings suggest that: legal/regulatory burden and lower facility IT capacity may discourage TMH adoption; significant racial disparities exist in TMH adoption; and there is a need to increase TMH use for substance abuse disorders.

scholarly journals Mental health disorders among patients with acute myocardial infarction in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 100133
Author(s):  
Jayakumar Sreenivasan ◽  
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan ◽  
Safi U. Khan ◽  
Urvashi Hooda ◽  
Wilbert S. Aronow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Acute Myocardial Infarction ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Health Disorders

scholarly journals Political Party and Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyssa Christine Holmquist
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Political Party ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
State Mental Health ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
The Government ◽  
State Mental

As political polarization increases and mental health worsens, it is becoming crucial to investigate the potential link between these. This project investigated the link between political party and mental health in the United States. Data was analyzed from previous U.S. elections, Mental Health America, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to investigate the relationships in four studies. The first analyzed current associations between state mental health rankings and voting margins in the 2020 presidential election. The second analyzed this same connection but over previous years. The third compared the percentage of liberal control in the government with the percentage of American adults receiving mental health care services to uncover if the party in power had an effect on overall mental health. The fourth analyzed voting margins and state mental health rankings at the end of the term to determine if mental health was associated with being governed by the party for which the state voted. Studies 1, 2, and 4 were found to have significant relationships at a 99% confidence level. This indicates that voting liberal is associated with better mental health rankings at the state level, both currently and throughout previous elections. It also signifies that being governed by the party for which the state voted is associated with better mental health at the state level. In future studies, it may be beneficial to conduct individual assessments to determine if this relationship exists only at the state level.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document