TY - JOUR
T1 - Frequency, recency, and variety of gun violence exposure
T2 - Implications for mental health and suicide among US adults
AU - Semenza, Daniel C.
AU - Bond, Allison E.
AU - Ziminski, Devon
AU - Anestis, Michael D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - Gun violence exposure (GVE) is a pervasive public health issue in the United States, with significant implications for mental health. This study examines the relationship between the frequency and recency of GVE and mental health outcomes including depression, mental health service utilization, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Using a nationally representative sample of 8,009 U.S. adults collected in 2024, we assessed six types of GVE and analyzed their cumulative and temporal effects for mental health. Results demonstrate that both more frequent and more recent GVE are associated with heightened risk for depression, suicide risk, and increased utilization of mental health services. High cumulative exposure is linked to elevated depression, use of health services, and suicidal ideation. Overall, the findings suggest that GVE, even when indirect, has long-lasting and severe mental health implications, underscoring the need for targeted public health interventions to address the gap between exposure and mental health care. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the mental health consequences of gun violence and emphasizes the importance of accounting for the frequency, recency, and variety of exposure in public health responses.
AB - Gun violence exposure (GVE) is a pervasive public health issue in the United States, with significant implications for mental health. This study examines the relationship between the frequency and recency of GVE and mental health outcomes including depression, mental health service utilization, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Using a nationally representative sample of 8,009 U.S. adults collected in 2024, we assessed six types of GVE and analyzed their cumulative and temporal effects for mental health. Results demonstrate that both more frequent and more recent GVE are associated with heightened risk for depression, suicide risk, and increased utilization of mental health services. High cumulative exposure is linked to elevated depression, use of health services, and suicidal ideation. Overall, the findings suggest that GVE, even when indirect, has long-lasting and severe mental health implications, underscoring the need for targeted public health interventions to address the gap between exposure and mental health care. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the mental health consequences of gun violence and emphasizes the importance of accounting for the frequency, recency, and variety of exposure in public health responses.
KW - Depression
KW - Exposure
KW - Gun violence
KW - Mental health
KW - Public health
KW - Suicide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85214346927&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85214346927&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117672
DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117672
M3 - Article
C2 - 39798413
SN - 0277-9536
VL - 366
JO - Social Science and Medicine
JF - Social Science and Medicine
M1 - 117672
ER -