Guns, Impulsive Angry Behavior, and Mental Disorders: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R).

Abstract

Analyses from the National Comorbidity Study Replication provide the first nationally representative estimates of the co-occurrence of impulsive angry behavior and possessing or carrying a gun among adults with and without certain mental disorders and demographic characteristics. The study found that a large number of individuals in the United States self-report patterns of impulsive angry behavior and also possess firearms at home (8.9%) or carry guns outside the home (1.5%). These data document associations of numerous common mental disorders and combinations of angry behavior with gun access. Because only a small proportion of persons with this risky combination have ever been involuntarily hospitalized for a mental health problem, most will not be subject to existing mental health-related legal restrictions on firearms resulting from a history of involuntary commitment. Excluding a large proportion of the general population from gun possession is also not likely to be feasible. Behavioral risk-based approaches to firearms restriction, such as expanding the definition of gun-prohibited persons to include those with violent misdemeanor convictions and multiple DUI convictions, could be a more effective public health policy to prevent gun violence in the population.

• Authors: Jeffrey W Swanson, Nancy A Sampson, Maria V Petukhova, Alan M Zaslavsky, Paul S Appelbaum, Marvin S Swartz, Ronald C Kessler
• Journal: Behavioral sciences & the law (Behav Sci Law) Vol. 33 Issue 2-3 Pg. 199-212 (Jun 2015) ISSN: 1099-0798 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25850688 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Anger
• Commitment of Mentally Ill (legislation & jurisprudence, statistics & numerical data)
• Comorbidity
• Female
• Firearms (legislation & jurisprudence, statistics & numerical data)
• Health Policy
• Humans
• Impulsive Behavior
• Male
• Mental Disorders (epidemiology)
• Middle Aged
• Public Health
• Risk Assessment
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• United States (epidemiology)
• Violence (prevention & control)
• Young Adult