University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0587, USA.
Prev Med. 2019 Apr;121:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.01.008. Epub 2019 Jan 31.
Despite the public, political, and media narrative that mental health is at the root of gun violence, evidence is lacking to infer a causal link. This study examines the temporal associations between gun violence (i.e., threatening someone with a gun and gun carrying) and mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, stress, PTSD, hostility, impulsivity, and borderline personality disorder) as well the cross-sectional associations with gun access and gun ownership in a group of emerging adults. Waves 6 (2015) and 8 (2017) data were used from a longitudinal study in Texas, US. Participants were 663 emerging adults (61.7% female) including 33.6% self-identified Hispanics, 26.0% white, 27.0% Black, and 13.4% other, with an average age of 22 years. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that, individuals who had gun access were 18.15 times and individuals with high hostility were 3.51 times more likely to have threatened someone with a gun, after controlling for demographic factors and prior mental health treatment. Individuals who had gun access were 4.74 times, individuals who reported gun ownership were 5.22 times, and individuals with high impulsivity were 1.91 times more likely to have carried a gun outside of their homes, after controlling for prior gun carrying, mental health treatment, and demographic factors. Counter to public beliefs, the majority of mental health symptoms examined were not related to gun violence. Instead, access to firearms was the primary culprit. The findings have important implications for gun control policy efforts.
尽管公众、政治和媒体的说法认为心理健康是枪支暴力的根源，但缺乏证据来推断因果关系。本研究在一组新兴成年人中检查了枪支暴力（即威胁某人使用枪支和携带枪支）与心理健康（即焦虑、抑郁、压力、创伤后应激障碍、敌意、冲动和边缘型人格障碍）之间的时间关联，以及与枪支获取和拥有的横断面关联。使用来自美国德克萨斯州一项纵向研究的第 6 波（2015 年）和第 8 波（2017 年）的数据。参与者是 663 名新兴成年人（61.7%为女性），其中 33.6%自我认同为西班牙裔，26.0%为白人，27.0%为黑人，13.4%为其他族裔，平均年龄为 22 岁。多变量逻辑回归表明，在控制人口统计学因素和先前的心理健康治疗后，有枪支获取的个体有 18.15 倍的可能性威胁某人使用枪支，而有高敌意的个体有 3.51 倍的可能性威胁某人使用枪支。有枪支获取的个体有 4.74 倍的可能性，报告有枪支拥有的个体有 5.22 倍的可能性，有高冲动的个体有 1.91 倍的可能性在家庭之外携带枪支，在控制先前的携带枪支、心理健康治疗和人口统计学因素后。与公众的看法相反，检查的大多数心理健康症状与枪支暴力无关。相反，枪支的获取是主要的罪魁祸首。这些发现对枪支控制政策努力具有重要意义。
