Gun Violence as a Source of Anxiety and Stress in the US Population

Purpose: The impact of gun violence on mental health is not limited to individuals who have experienced a shooting. This report enumerates, for the entire US population, the prevalence of anxiety and stress about gun violence. It also describes evidence-informed interventions that may improve these symptoms by reducing gun violence. Design: Surveys representing the US population. Setting: United States. Subjects: Adults and adolescents. Measures: Self-reported anxiety and stress. Analysis: Descriptive frequencies. Results: On 3 surveys of adults (N sizes 2015 to 3192), between 27% and 38% selected "extremely anxious", 26% to 35% selected "somewhat anxious", and 12% selected "not at all anxious" when asked about gun violence concerns. When asked, 37% of respondents stated that they had avoided going somewhere over the past 6 months due to fear or anxiety about gun violence. In a survey of teens (N = 743) and their parents (N = 1058), 25% of teens selected "very worried" and another 32% "somewhat worried" about the possibility of a shooting happening at their school. In response to the same question, 24% of parents selected "very worried" and another 39% "somewhat worried". Conclusion: Anxiety and stress about gun violence are pervasive in America. Secure gun storage, universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders are among the interventions that reduce gun violence and may thereby reduce the anxiety and stress it generates.