Mental Illness and Firearms: Legal Context and Clinical Approaches.
Gun violence and mental illness is a major area of media attention, especially because highly publicized mass shootings seem to have become more commonly reported in the press. Gun access also is undergoing a highly politicized debate in the United States. It is important for mental health practitioners to understand the background and context of laws related to firearms access, and to understand data related to risk of suicide and violence toward others caused by gun violence among persons with mental illness. In addition, clinically driven risk assessments with specific inquiry related to firearms can be important for identifying individuals for whom firearm-focused clinical risk mitigation may be warranted.
Program in Psychiatry, Law, and Ethics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: dpinals@med.umich.edu.
Debra A
DA
Pinals
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Lisa
L
Anacker
D005389:Firearms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013405:Suicide; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence
Firearms; Gun control legislation; Gun violence; Media; Mental illness; Risk assessment; Risk management