People who have experienced gun violence are at higher risk of depression and suicide

In the United States, a country with a high rate of gun violence, gun violence has become a serious public health issue, with tens of thousands of people losing their lives each year to homicide, suicide, accidental accidents, mass shootings, etc. New research has revealed that people who have experienced gun violence are at higher risk of depression and suicide.

Frequency, recency, and variety of gun violence exposure: Implications for mental health and suicide among US adults - ScienceDirect

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953625000012

Exposure to gun violence linked to depression and suicide risk
https://www.psypost.org/exposure-to-gun-violence-linked-to-depression-and-suicide-risk/

A research team led by Daniel Semenza , an associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University in the United States, investigated how factors such as the frequency and type of exposure to gun violence are associated with depression, use of mental health services, and suicide risk.

The survey asked 8,009 adults living in the US about their depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. They were also asked six questions about their exposure to gun violence, including how often they experienced each event and when it last happened.

The questions about gun violence included: 'Have you ever known someone who died by suicide with a gun?', 'Have you ever been threatened with a gun?', 'Have you ever been shot by someone?', 'Have you ever had a family member or friend shot by a gun?', 'Have you ever witnessed a shooting?', and 'Have you ever heard gunshots in your neighborhood?'

The study found that both higher exposure to gun violence and the recency of these events were associated with increased depression and suicide risk, as well as increased use of mental health services.

Those who were frequently or recently exposed to gun violence were more likely to suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts, and seek mental health services than those who were not. Cumulative exposure to gun violence throughout one's lifetime was also associated with these problems.

The research team concluded, 'Overall, our findings suggest that even indirect exposure to gun violence can have serious long-term mental health consequences,' and argued that targeted interventions to address the mental health problems caused by gun violence are needed.