Firearm injuries incurred by children and adolescents can lead to negative impacts on mental and behavioral health both for the injured and their family, according to a recent study published in the November issue of Health Affairs.
The study was conducted by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. Researchers compared 2,052 child and adolescent survivors of firearm injuries and 6,209 of their family members to control groups that didn't experience firearm injuries, in addition to 265 family members of children who died from gun violence.
The study found that child and adolescent survivors of firearm injuries experienced a 68% increase in psychiatric disorders, a 144% increase in substance use disorders and a 117% increase in pain disorders in comparison to the control groups in the year following the injury.
Parents of survivors of firearm injuries saw a 31% increase in psychiatric disorders, with 75% more mental health visits among mothers. The number of people with psychiatric disorders experienced a 2.3- to 5.3-fold increase among family members of children who died by firearm.