TY - JOUR
T1 - Exposure to firearm injury and suicide in a rural Pennsylvania county
T2 - implications for mental and behavioral health
AU - Stansfield, Richard
AU - Semenza, Daniel C.
AU - Ziminski, Devon
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - To evaluate the association between self-reported gun violence exposures and mental health and behavioral health indicators in a rural population. Using cross-sectional survey responses from 630 residents of a rural county in Pennsylvania, logistic regression models estimate the likelihood of residents indicating moderate or severe levels of health outcomes as a function of gun violence exposure. We control for a series of variables related to gun ownership, behavior, history with firearms and demographic characteristics. Personal firearm victimization was associated with self-reported depressive symptoms and interrupted sleep. Secondary exposure to firearm violence, particularly exposure to friends attempting or completing a suicide, was associated with higher odds of reporting severe levels (14 days or more in the past month) of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and poor sleep. For firearm suicide involving a friend or family member, the odds of reporting severe levels of all three outcomes are 3 times greater (OR 2.984, 95% CI 1.457–6.108). For each additional firearm exposure, the odds of experiencing severe levels of mental health and sleep difficulties are 1.4 times greater (OR 1.384, 95% CI 1.115–1.720). Cumulative exposures also increase the odds of reporting binge drinking and drug use. Firearm violence exposure was associated with adverse health indicators in this rural population. Approaches to counter the effects of cumulative firearm exposure and firearm suicide exposure, including reinvigorating community spaces and strengthening social supports, may help to reduce mental health burden in rural communities.
AB - To evaluate the association between self-reported gun violence exposures and mental health and behavioral health indicators in a rural population. Using cross-sectional survey responses from 630 residents of a rural county in Pennsylvania, logistic regression models estimate the likelihood of residents indicating moderate or severe levels of health outcomes as a function of gun violence exposure. We control for a series of variables related to gun ownership, behavior, history with firearms and demographic characteristics. Personal firearm victimization was associated with self-reported depressive symptoms and interrupted sleep. Secondary exposure to firearm violence, particularly exposure to friends attempting or completing a suicide, was associated with higher odds of reporting severe levels (14 days or more in the past month) of depressive symptoms, anxiety, and poor sleep. For firearm suicide involving a friend or family member, the odds of reporting severe levels of all three outcomes are 3 times greater (OR 2.984, 95% CI 1.457–6.108). For each additional firearm exposure, the odds of experiencing severe levels of mental health and sleep difficulties are 1.4 times greater (OR 1.384, 95% CI 1.115–1.720). Cumulative exposures also increase the odds of reporting binge drinking and drug use. Firearm violence exposure was associated with adverse health indicators in this rural population. Approaches to counter the effects of cumulative firearm exposure and firearm suicide exposure, including reinvigorating community spaces and strengthening social supports, may help to reduce mental health burden in rural communities.
KW - Behavioral health
KW - Firearm injury
KW - Mental health
KW - Rural
KW - Suicide
KW - Violence
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U2 - 10.1007/s10865-024-00529-8
DO - 10.1007/s10865-024-00529-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 39467926
SN - 0160-7715
VL - 48
SP - 188
EP - 198
JO - Journal of behavioral medicine
JF - Journal of behavioral medicine
IS - 1
M1 - 107224
ER -