title: 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: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC.
authors: Jeffrey W
authors: JW
authors: Swanson
authors: Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors: Nancy A
authors: NA
authors: Sampson
authors: Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors: Maria V
authors: MV
authors: Petukhova
authors: Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors: Alan M
authors: AM
authors: Zaslavsky
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY.
authors: Paul S
authors: PS
authors: Appelbaum
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC.
authors: Marvin S
authors: MS
authors: Swartz
authors: Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors: Ronald C
authors: RC
authors: Kessler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000786:Anger; D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult