Jumping the Gun: Firearms and the Mental Health of Australians

Objectives: The aims of this study were to (i) survey mental health-related correlates of firearms ownership and availability in Australia, and (ii) assess possible causal relationships between civilian gun deaths, gun availability and mental disorders. Method: Available data regarding firearms ownership, injuries and deaths were reviewed as well as studies of (i) gun ownership, suicide and homicide, and (ii) gun control laws and suicide. Results: Findings indicated that 85% of firearm deaths are triggered by distress, as opposed to crime. Most firearm homicides are intrafamilial or involve familiar persons. Firearm suicide rates, athough tapering off in recent years, continue to rise among certain groups. It was also found that: (1) Beyond reasonable doubt, a causal relationship exists between gun ownership and firearm suicides and homicides. The role of method substitution is controversial, but is probably less important among the young. (2) Outside the United States, legislation may be useful in reducing firearm and possibly overall suicide rates. (3) If firearm owners are representative of the community, then 15–20% suffer from a psychiatric disorder at any time. While a modest increase in risk of firearms misuse exists for this group, especially those with a history of substance abuse or violence, concern also arises regarding those with mental disorders who access firearms because owners have not secured them. No uniform definition or way of verifying self-reports exists for gun licence applicants regarding these issues. Conclusions: Further regulation of firearm safety and availability is warranted. Public health measures include improved surveillance regarding firearm events, advocacy for appropriate firearm legislation, and better education and communication about firearms.

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Suicide Rates in Canada before and after Tightening Firearm Control Laws

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1993.72.3.787 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 72 (3) ◽

pp. 787-790 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

David Lester ◽

Antoon Leenaars

Keyword(s):

Suicide Rate ◽

Gun Control ◽

Easy Access ◽

Control Laws ◽

Good Opportunity ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Before And After ◽

Firearm Suicide ◽

Firearm Control ◽

Methods Of Suicide

In Canada, Bill C-51 was implemented in 1977 to restrict the use of firearms, providing a good opportunity to study the effects of gun control laws in the use of firearms for suicide. The present study examined the use of guns for suicide during the period prior to the bill and during the period after the passing of Bill C-51 to assess the association of the bill with suicide rates. Analysis showed a significant decreasing trend after passage of Bill C-51 on the firearm suicide rate in Canada and the percentage of suicides using firearms. The analysis supports the position that restricting easy access to lethal methods of suicide may assist in reducing suicide.

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Religion and Spiritual Advice as Surrogate Care Provision for Mental Health Problems in the ESEMED Survey

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/s0924-9338(09)70399-2 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 24 (S1) ◽

pp. 1-1

Author(s):

V. Kovess ◽

R. de Graaf ◽

J.M. Haro ◽

R. Bruffaerts ◽

F. Gilbert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Religious Affiliation ◽

Religious Practice ◽

The United States ◽

Health Problems ◽

Sample Survey ◽

Seeking Help

Objective:To complete missing information on the influence of spiritual and religious advisors as informal providers for mental health problems in Europe.Methods:Recourse to religious practice or belief when coping with mental health problems was evaluated using data from the ESEMED survey. This was a stratified, multistage, clustered-area probability sample survey of mental health carried out in six European countries which included 8796 subjects. Between countries differences in sociodemographic characteristics, religious affiliation, and prevalence of mental disorders and management of mental disorders were evaluated.Results:Religion appears to play a limited role in coping with mental health problems in Europe. Only 7.9% of individuals seeking help for such problems turned to a religious advisor. This proportion differed between countries from 13% in Italy, 12.5% in Germany, 10.5% in the Netherlands, 5.8% in France, 4.7% in Belgium to 4% in Spain. In addition, seeking help exclusively from religion was reported by only 1.3% of subjects. Practicing religion at least once a week and considering religion as important in daily life were predictors of using religion versus conventional health care only. Use of religion was not influenced by gender and age. Non-Christian respondents and individuals with alcohol disorders were more likely to use religion. In Spain, the use of religion is much lower than average.Conclusions:Unlike the situation in the United States, organised religion does not provide alternative informal mental health care in Europe. At best, it could be considered as an adjunct to conventional care.

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Asthma and Suicidal Ideation Among Youth in the Community

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910.25.3.99 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 99-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Renee D. Goodwin ◽

Andrej Marušič

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

The United States ◽

Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽

Multiple Logistic Regression ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Community Based ◽

Comorbid Mental Disorders

Summary: Objective: To determine the association between asthma and suicidal ideation among youth in the community. Method: Data were drawn from the MECA (n = 1285), a community-based study of youth aged 9-17 in the United States. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between asthma and suicidal ideation, adjusting for differences in sociodemographic characteristics and mental disorders. Results: Asthma was associated with a significantly increased likelihood of suicidal ideation (OR = 3.25 ‘1.04, 10.1’), compared to youth without asthma. Conclusions: These data suggest that youth who are hospitalized for asthma may have higher than expected levels of suicidal ideation, compared with youth without asthma in the community. This association appears to persist after controlling for the effects of comorbid mental disorders. These findings are consistent with previous clinical reports of an association between physical illness and suicidal ideation, as well as with links between asthma and suicidal ideation among adults. More in-depth evaluation of the mental health of youth hospitalized for asthma may be indicated if these results are replicated.

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Research Domain Criteria and OCD

10.1093/med/9780190228163.003.0062 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Eyal Kalanthroff ◽

Gideon E. Anholt ◽

Helen Blair Simpson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

The United States ◽

Self Report ◽

Research Domain Criteria ◽

Diagnostic Systems ◽

Behavioral Measures ◽

Research Domain

This chapter discusses the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) project, an initiative of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) of the United States to develop for research purposes new ways of classifying mental disorders based on dimensions of observable behavior and neurobiological measures, and explores how the hallmark symptoms of OCD (obsessions, compulsions, and anxiety) can be mapped onto RDoC domains. Unlike current categorical diagnostic systems (e.g., DSM), RDoC seeks to integrate many levels of information (from genomics to self-report) to validate dimensions defined by neurobiology and behavioral measures that cut across current disorder categories. The chapter explores, for heuristic reasons, how the RDoC matrix might be used to elucidate the neurobehavioral domains of dysfunction that lead to the characteristic symptoms of OCD. It then selectively reviews the OCD literature from the perspective of the RDoC domains, aiming to guide future transdiagnostic studies to examine specific neurobehavioral domains across disorders.

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A brief history of the criminalization of mental illness

CNS Spectrums ◽

10.1017/s1092852920000103 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 638-650 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Joel A. Dvoskin ◽

James L. Knoll ◽

Mollie Silva

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Community Mental Health ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

The United States ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

The People ◽

History Of ◽

Serious Mental Illnesses

This article traces the history of the way in which mental disorders were viewed and treated, from before the birth of Christ to the present day. Special attention is paid to the process of deinstitutionalization in the United States and the failure to create an adequately robust community mental health system to care for the people who, in a previous era, might have experienced lifelong hospitalization. As a result, far too many people with serious mental illnesses are living in jails and prisons that are ill-suited and unprepared to meet their needs.

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Gun ownership and suicide in the United States

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291700012551 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 519-521 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

David Lester

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Gun Ownership ◽

Homicide Rates ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

The Usa ◽

Per Capita

SynopsisThe circulation of firearm magazines was used as an index of gun ownership in the states of the USA. States with a higher per capita circulation of firearm magazines had higher suicide rates by gun and higher overall suicide rates. Homicide rates were unrelated to this measure of gun availability. Implications for the prevention of suicide are discussed.

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

Criminology & Criminal Justice ◽

10.1177/17488958211060473 ◽

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.

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The Association between Firearm Control Policies and Firearm Suicide among Men: A State-Level Age-Stratified Analysis

Health & Social Work ◽

10.1093/hsw/hlz028 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 249-258

Author(s):

Carol Leung ◽

Mark S Kaplan ◽

Ziming Xuan

Keyword(s):

Suicide Rate ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

State Level ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Gun Control ◽

Mortality Data ◽

Control Policies ◽

Suicide Rates ◽

Firearm Suicide ◽

Firearm Control

Abstract This study examined the association between state-specific firearm control policies and firearm suicide rates among men after adjusting for state-level demographics. This cross-sectional study used state-level mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System and the Brady Campaign State Scorecard in 2017. An age-stratified (15–24 years, 25–44 years, 45–64 years, and ≥ 65 years) multivariable analysis was conducted to identify gun control policies that are associated with firearm suicide rates among men in each age group. Results indicate that the associations of specific firearm control policies and firearm suicide rates differ across the age span. In particular, more policies (for example, dealer regulations and waiting periods) are negatively associated with firearm suicide rate among men 15 to 24 years of age. The findings underscore the importance of designing gender- and age-specific policy advocacy programs directed at lowering the rate of firearm suicide. This study also suggests that California, known for its innovative gun safety legislation efforts, could serve as a model for other states starting preventive programs to reduce the firearm suicide rate. Implications of the findings for social work practice are discussed.

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