Mental health and firearms in community-based surveys: implications for suicide prevention.

Full Abstract

Suicide rates are higher among those who own a handgun and among those who [corrected] live in a household with a hand gun. This article examines the association between [corrected] gun ownership and mental health, another risk factor for suicide. Data from the General Social Survey, a series of surveys of U.S. adults, are analyzed to compare general emotional and mental health, sadness and depression, functional mental health, and mental health help seeking among gun owners, persons who do not own but live in a household with a gun, and those who do not own a gun. After taking into account a few basic demographic characteristics associated with both variables, there appears to be no association between mental health and gun ownership. Nor is there any association between mental health and living in a household with a firearm. Findings suggest that the high risk of suicide among those who own or live in a household with a gun is not related to poor mental health. Implications for prevention are discussed.

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Author information

Author/s: Sorenson, Susan B (SB); Vittes, Katherine A (KA);

Affiliation: Department of Social Policy, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article

Journal: Evaluation review (Eval Rev), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jun; vol 32 (issue 3) : pp 239-56

Dates: Created 2008/05/05; Completed 2008/07/18; Revised 2008/08/06;

PMID: 18456876, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

ErratumIn: Eval Rev. 2008 Aug;32(4):410.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Male
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental Health
Psychometrics
Suicide - prevention & control; statistics & numerical data
United States - epidemiology
Wounds, Gunshot - prevention & control

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