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Stansfield R, Semenza DC, Ziminski D. Exposure to firearm injury and suicide in a rural Pennsylvania county: implications for mental and behavioral health. J Behav Med 2024:10.1007/s10865-024-00529-8. [PMID: 39467926 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-024-00529-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 10/14/2024] [Indexed: 10/30/2024]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Stansfield
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Rutgers University - Camden, 405-407 Cooper Street, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA.
| | - Daniel C Semenza
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Rutgers University - Camden, 405-407 Cooper Street, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
- New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA
| | - Devon Ziminski
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, Rutgers University - Camden, 405-407 Cooper Street, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA
- New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA
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Toigo S, Pollock NJ, Liu L, Contreras G, McFaull SR, Thompson W. Fatal and non-fatal firearm-related injuries in Canada, 2016-2020: a population-based study using three administrative databases. Inj Epidemiol 2023; 10:10. [PMID: 36788597 PMCID: PMC9930327 DOI: 10.1186/s40621-023-00422-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Firearms are a substantial cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality in Canada and globally, though evidence from contexts other than the USA is relatively limited. We examined deaths, hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits due to firearm-related injuries in Canada to identify population groups at increased risk of fatal and non-fatal outcomes. METHODS We conducted a population-based study using three national administrative databases on deaths, hospitalizations, and ED visits. ICD-10 codes were used to identify firearm-related injuries from January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2020. Fatal and non-fatal firearm injuries were classified as suicide/self-harm, homicide/assault, unintentional, undetermined or legal intervention injuries. We analyzed the data with counts, rates and proportions, stratified by sex, age group, province/territory, and year. RESULTS Over the 5-year period, we identified 4005 deaths, 3169 hospitalizations, and 2847 ED visits related to firearm injuries in various jurisdictions in Canada. Males comprised the majority of fatal and non-fatal injury cases. The highest rates of fatal and non-fatal firearm injuries were among 20- to 34-year-olds. The leading cause of fatal firearm injuries was self-harm (72.3%). For non-fatal firearm hospitalizations and ED visits, assault (48.8%) and unintentional injuries (62.8%) were the leading causes of injury. Rates varied by province and territory. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that males comprised the majority of fatal and non-fatal firearm injuries in Canada. The rates of both fatal and non-fatal firearm injuries were highest among the 20- to 34-year-old age group. This comprehensive overview of the epidemiology of firearm injuries in Canada provides baseline data for ongoing surveillance and policy evaluation related to public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Toigo
- Injury Surveillance, Public Health Agency of Canada, 785 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5H4 Canada
| | - Nathaniel J. Pollock
- Injury Surveillance, Public Health Agency of Canada, 785 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5H4 Canada
| | - Li Liu
- Injury Surveillance, Public Health Agency of Canada, 785 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5H4 Canada
| | - Gisèle Contreras
- Injury Surveillance, Public Health Agency of Canada, 785 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5H4 Canada
| | - Steven R. McFaull
- Injury Surveillance, Public Health Agency of Canada, 785 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5H4 Canada
| | - Wendy Thompson
- Injury Surveillance, Public Health Agency of Canada, 785 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5H4 Canada
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Reccord C, Power N, Hatfield K, Karaivanov Y, Mulay S, Wilson M, Pollock N. Rural-Urban Differences in Suicide Mortality: An Observational Study in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: Différences de la Mortalité Par Suicide en Milieu Rural-Urbain: Une Étude Observationnelle à Terre-Neuve et Labrador, Canada. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2021; 66:918-928. [PMID: 33576277 PMCID: PMC8573702 DOI: 10.1177/0706743721990315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide rates are higher in rural compared to urban areas. Although this pattern appears to be driven by higher rates among men, there is limited evidence about the characteristics of rural people who die by suicide in Canada. The objective of this study was to examine the demographics, manner of death, and social and clinical antecedents of people who died by suicide in rural areas compared to urban areas. METHODS We conducted an observational study of all suicide deaths that occurred among Newfoundland and Labrador residents between 1997 and 2016 using a linked data set derived from a comprehensive review of provincial medical examiner records. We used t tests and χ2 to assess associations between rural/urban status and variables related to demographics, circumstances, and manner of death, as well as social and medical history. Logistic regression was utilized to assess the independent contribution of any variable found to be significant in univariate analysis. RESULTS Rural people who died by suicide accounted for 54.8% of all deaths over a 20-year period. Overall, 81.6% of people who died were male. Compared to urban, rural people who died by suicide were younger, more likely to use firearms or hanging, and had a higher mean blood alcohol content at the time of death (27.69 vs. 22.95 mmol/L). Rural people were also less likely to have had a known history of a prior suicide attempt, psychiatric disorder, alcohol or substance abuse, or chronic pain. DISCUSSION The demographic and clinical differences between rural and urban people who died by suicide underscore the need for suicide prevention approaches that account for place-based differences. A key challenge for suicide prevention in rural communities is to ensure that interventions are developed and implemented in a manner that fits local contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlene Reccord
- Department of Research, Eastern Health, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Nicole Power
- Department of Research, Eastern Health, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Keeley Hatfield
- Department of Research, Eastern Health, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.,McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yordan Karaivanov
- Medical Services, Labrador Health Centre, Labrador-Grenfell Health, Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.,Discipline of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Shree Mulay
- Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Margo Wilson
- Discipline of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.,Eastern Health, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Nathaniel Pollock
- Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.,School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.,School of Arctic and Subarctic Studies, Labrador Institute, Memorial University, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL
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