Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T08:47:14.370Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mental Illness and Gun Violence: Research and Policy Options

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 January 2021

Ronald S. Honberg
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article provides an overview of current knowledge about the relationship between mental illness, violence, homicides, and suicides, with a view towards crafting sensible public policy options for reducing gun violence towards self or others. With this knowledge as a backdrop, the limitations of the federal National Instant Background Check System (NICS) as both over-inclusive and under-inclusive in identifying people with mental illness who pose potential risks are discussed. Finally, the article describes emerging approaches for identifying and removing firearms from persons who pose potential risks of gun violence towards self or others, including Extreme Risk Protection Orders (“Red Flag Laws“) and other options.

Type
Online Articles
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 48 , Issue S4: Gun Violence in America: An Interdisciplinary Examination , Winter 2020 , pp. 137 - 141
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abramson, A. and Elliott, P., “Gun Safety Measures Have Momentum Right Now. That May Change Before Congress Comes Back,” Time, August 12, 2019, available at <https://time.com/5650044/mass-shootings-gun-safety-congress/> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Pescosolido, B.A., et al., “Evolving Public Views on the Likelihood of Violence from People with Mental Illness: Stigma and Its Consequences,” Health Affairs 38, no. 10 (2019): 1735-1743.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Consortium for Risk Based Firearm Policy, Guns, Public Health and Mental Illness: An Evidence-Based Approach for State Policy, December 2, 2013, available at <https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-and-research/_archive-2019/_pdfs/GPHMI-State.pdf> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “Serious Mental Illness and Serious Emotional Disturbance,” January 23, 2020, available at <https://www.samhsa.gov/dbhis-collections/smi> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Swanson, J.W., McGinty, E.E., Fazel, S., and Mays, V.M., “Mental Illness and Reduction of Gun Violence and Suicide: Bringing Epidemiologic Research to Policy,” Annals of Epidemiology 25 (2015) 366-376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steadman, H.J., Mulvey, E.P., et al., “Violence by People Discharged from Acute Psychiatric Inpatient Facilities and by Others in the Same Neighborhoods,” Archives of General Psychiatry 53 (1966) 393-401.Google Scholar
Fazel, S., Gulati, G., et al., “Schizophrenia and Violence: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” PLOS Medicine 6, no. 8 (2009): 1-15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duke, A., Smith, K., et al., “Alcohol, Drugs and Violence: A Meta-meta-Analysis,” Psychology of Violence 8, no. 2 (2018): 238-249; also Vitelli, R., “How are Substance Abuse and Violence Related?” Psychology Today Blog, March 8, 2018.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
See Swanson, et al., supra note 5.Google Scholar
Amnesty International, “Gun Violence – Key Facts,” available at <https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/arms-control/gun-violence/> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Stone, M.F., “Mass Murder, Mental Illness and Men,” Violence and Gender 2, no. 1 (2015).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, A Study of the Pre-Attack Behaviors of Active Shooters in the United States between 2008 and 2013, June 2018, available at <https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/pre-attack-behaviors-of-active-shooters-in-us-2000-2013.pdf/view> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Everytown for Gun Safety, “Mass Shootings in America: 2009 to Present,” available at <https://everytownre-search.org/massshootingsreports/mass-shootings-in-america-2009-2019/> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Hedegaard, H., Curtin, S.C., and Warner, M., Increase in Suicide Mortality in the United States, 1999-2018, National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief, No. 362, April 2020, available at <https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db362-h.pdf> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
National Institute of Mental Health, “Factsheet on Suicide,” available at <http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Shane, L., “VA: Suicide Rate for Younger Veterans Increased by More Than 10 Percent,” Military Times, September 26, 2018, available at <https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2018/09/26/suicide-rate-spikes-among-younger-veterans/> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Gramlich, J., “What the Data Says About Gun Deaths in the U.S.,” Pew Research Center, August 16, 2019, available at <https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/16/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Pallin, R.A., Spitzer, S.A., et al., “Preventing Firearm Related Death and Injury,” Annals of Internal Medicine (2019), available at <https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/AITC201906040> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Carroll, L., “Firearms Most Lethal Suicide Method by Far in the U.S.,” Reuters Health Care, December 2, 2019, available at <https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-suicide-guns/fire-arms-most-lethal-suicide-method-by-far-in-the-u-s-idUSK-BN1Y62FD> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Suicide Rising across the U.S.,” June 7, 2018, available at <https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/index.html> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
P.L. 90-618, Oct. 22, 1968.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27 CFR Sect. 478.11.Google Scholar
Jurisdictions that have passed laws authorizing Extreme Risk Protection Orders as of April 2020 include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.Google Scholar
Kivisto, A.J. and Phalen, P.L., “Effects of Risk-Based Firearm Seizure Laws in Connecticut and Indiana on Suicide Rates,” Psychiatric Services 69, no. 8 (2018): 855-862.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiggins, O., “Red Flag Laws in Maryland Led to Gun Seizures from 148 People in the First Three Months,” The Washington Post, January 15, 2019, available at <https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/red-flag-law-in-maryland-led-to-148-gun-seizures-in-first-three-months/2019/01/15/cfb3676c-1904-11e9-9ebf-c5fed1b7a081_story.html> (last visited September 18, 2020); also Lipscomb, J., “Florida's Post Parkland ‘Red Flag’ Law Has Taken Guns from Dangerous People,” Miami New Times, August 7, 2018, available at <https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/floridas-red-flag-law-has-taken-guns-from-dangerous-people-10602359> (last visited September 18, 2020). (last visited September 18, 2020).' href=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Wiggins,+O.,+“Red+Flag+Laws+in+Maryland+Led+to+Gun+Seizures+from+148+People+in+the+First+Three+Months,”+The+Washington+Post,+January+15,+2019,+available+at++(last+visited+September+18,+2020);+also+Lipscomb,+J.,+“Florida's+Post+Parkland+‘Red+Flag’+Law+Has+Taken+Guns+from+Dangerous+People,”+Miami+New+Times,+August+7,+2018,+available+at++(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
National Alliance on Mental Illness, “Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” available at <https://www.nami.org/Advocacy/Policy-Priorities/Divert-from-Justice-Involvement/Extreme-Risk-Protection-Orders> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association, “Resource Document on Risk-Based Gun Removal Laws,” June 2018.Google Scholar
American Psychological Association, “Statement of APA CEO on Gun Violence and Mental Health,” August 5, 2019, available at <https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/08/gun-violence-mental-health> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Van Brocklin, E., “Washington State Debuts Unique Tool to Reduce Gun Suicides,” The Trace, May 28, 2019, available at <https://www.thetrace.org/2019/05/washington-state-gun-no-buy-list-suicide/> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Skerrett, P.J., “Suicide Often Not Preceded by Warnings,” Harvard Health Blog, August 5, 2019, available at <https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/suicide-often-not-preceded-by-warnings-201209245331> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Means Matter, available at <https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/means-matter/gun-shop-project/> (last visited September 18, 2020).+(last+visited+September+18,+2020).>Google Scholar
Walton, T. and Stuber, J., “Firearm Retailers and Suicide: Results From a Survey Assessing Willingness to Engage in Prevention Efforts,” Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior 50, no. 1 (2020): 83-92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar