Exposure to gun violence linked to depression and suicide risk

A nationwide survey of adult U.S. residents found that individuals frequently exposed to gun violence tend to have a heightened risk of depression and suicide. They are also more likely to use mental health services. The research was published in Social Science & Medicine.

Gun violence in the United States is a major public health and safety issue, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths each year. It includes homicides, suicides, accidental shootings, and mass shootings. The U.S. has one of the highest rates of gun-related deaths among developed nations.

Gun violence disproportionately affects certain demographic groups, particularly young men and Black individuals. Suicide accounts for over half of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. Mass shootings, while less frequent, receive extensive media attention and fuel public debate. The issue remains deeply polarizing, with strong opinions on both sides of the political spectrum regarding gun rights and public safety.

Study author Daniel C. Semenza and his colleagues sought to explore how the frequency, variety, and recency of exposure to gun violence are associated with depression, healthcare utilization, and suicide risk in the U.S. They hypothesized that repetitive and more recent exposure to gun violence would be associated with a greater risk of depression, increased suicide risk, and greater use of healthcare.

Survey participants included 8,009 non-institutionalized adults residing in the U.S. Data collection was carried out in 2024 in collaboration with Ipsos KnowledgePanel, a large probability-based online panel. The survey included assessments of depression symptoms (using the Patient Health Questionnaire–9) and suicidal ideation (via the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview – Short Form – Self Report).

Participants were also asked whether they had ever attempted suicide and responded to several questions about their exposure to gun violence. Specifically, they were asked if they had ever: (1) known someone who died by firearm suicide, (2) been threatened with a firearm, (3) been shot by someone, (4) known a family member or friend who was shot, (5) witnessed a shooting, or (6) heard gunshots in their neighborhood. They also reported how often they had experienced each of these types of events as separate incidents and when they had last experienced them.

Results showed that both more frequent and more recent exposure to gun violence were associated with a heightened risk of depression, suicide, and increased utilization of mental health services. In other words, people who were more often or more recently exposed to gun violence were more likely to suffer from depression, experience suicidal ideation, and seek mental healthcare compared to those exposed less often or not at all. High cumulative exposure to gun violence over the course of a lifetime was also linked to an elevated risk of depression, suicidal ideation, and greater use of mental health services.

“Overall, the findings suggest that GVE [gun violence exposure], 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,” the study authors concluded.

The study sheds light on the inks between gun violence exposure and mental health. However, it should be noted that all the study data came from self-reports leaving room for reporting bias to have affected the results. Additionally, the design of the study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived from the findings.

The paper, “Frequency, recency, and variety of gun violence exposure: Implications for mental health and suicide among US adults,” was authored by Daniel C. Semenza, Allison E. Bond, Devon Ziminski, and Michael D. Anestis.