Evaluating the impact of a street outreach intervention on participant involvement in gun violence

"I Have More Friends That Died Than Fingers and Toes": Service Utilization Needs and Preferences for Violence and Substance Use Prevention Among Young Black Boys and Men

Young Black men (YBM) disproportionately face the most severe forms and consequences of youth violence (YV) and substance use disorders, but are less likely to access and be retained in services for these high-risk behaviors. Investigating service uptake disparities and the role of barrier-reducing intervention delivery models is essential; so is understanding the service needs and preferences of YBM. This study explores the experiences of violence-involved and substance-disordered YBM and service providers working with them from racially and economically diverse communities, focusing on their service needs and preferences. Additionally, we examine the potential benefits and drawbacks of digital health interventions in addressing crucial structural barriers to service access and promoting equity for Black boys in high-violence environments. Individual interviews were conducted with 16 YBM (selected from a larger pool of 300 participants from a pilot study) and 7 service providers (four females, three males). Data analysis utilized an Interpretive Description (ID) approach guided by the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST). Four themes emerged: (1) Revolving Doors and Histories of Violence; (2) Benefits of Violence: "You Do Something to Me, I Do Something to You"; (3) Positive and Negative Perceptions of Violence and Substance Use Prevention Programs; and (4) Need for Equity-Focused and Barrier-Mitigating Digital Health Interventions. Our findings identified avoidance mechanisms utilized by YBM at both individual and community levels and highlighted perceptions of existing community-based programs and digital interventions as crucial tools for mitigating barriers to care. This study also confirms the prevalence of critical service gaps and program uptake issues, even in cities with abundant programs. Thus emphasizing the need for equity-focused interventions co-designed with and for YBM in high-violence and substance use contexts.

Local gun violence, mental health, and sleep: A neighborhood analysis in one hundred US Cities

RATIONALE

Community gun violence significantly shapes public health and collective well-being. Understanding how gun violence is associated with community health outcomes like mental health and sleep is crucial for developing interventions to mitigate disparities exacerbated by violence exposure.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the associations between community gun violence , insufficient sleep, and poor mental health across neighborhoods in the United States.

METHODS

We utilized a novel database covering nearly 16,000 neighborhoods in 100 US cities from 2014 through 2019. Correlated trait fixed-effects models were employed to conduct all analyses while considering various neighborhood covariates such as concentrated disadvantage, demographic composition, population density, and proximity to trauma centers.

RESULTS

Our analysis revealed that greater gun violence is associated with both insufficient sleep and poor mental health in subsequent years. There is a reciprocal relationship between poor mental health and insufficient sleep, with each partially mediating the other's association with community gun violence. Notably, gun violence exhibits the strongest direct association with poor sleep rather than with poor mental health. We found a consistent reciprocal relationship between sleep and mental health at the community level.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight a complex interplay between community violence, sleep, and mental health, underlining the importance of reducing community violence through numerous long-term interventions to address health disparities across the US.

Investing in family-centered early childhood education: A conceptual model for preventing firearm homicide among Black male youth in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Firearms are now the number one killer of children and adolescents in the United States. Firearm homicides among Black male youth are the driver of this increase. Prevention requires a multi-faceted life course approach. Academic achievement has been identified as a protective factor. Early childhood education, which is linked to later achievement, is thus an intervention area of interest. Conceptualizing the potential links between early childhood education and reduced risk for youth firearm homicide is important for guiding policy advocacy and informing future research.

METHODS

This paper presents a conceptual model linking early childhood education to reduced risk for firearm homicide. Each link in the model is discussed, and a corresponding review of the literature is presented. The need for anti-racist policies to strengthen the impact of early childhood education is highlighted.

RESULTS

Early education and firearm homicide research are each well-established but largely disconnected. There are clear immediate benefits of early childhood education; however, these effects wane with time, particularly for youth of color. At the same time, juvenile delinquency-a major risk factor for firearm homicide-is influenced by educational inequities.

CONCLUSIONS

Effective interventions to reduce firearm homicides among Black male youth in the United States are needed. Early childhood education shows promise as an intervention. However, to have an impact, this education needs to be accessible and affordable for all, particularly families of color and low income. Societal structures and policies must also better support the positive gains seen through early childhood education to avoid dissipation.