What to know
- Presentation Day/Time: Thursday, April 24, 9:00–10:25 am
- Presenter: Emilia Pawlowski, PhD, EIS officer assigned to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention
What did we do?
- New York State (NYS) became the first jurisdiction in the United States to add questions about interpersonal firearm violence exposure questions to its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey in 2023. We estimated the statewide prevalence of these exposures and examined associations with frequent mental distress.
What did we find?
- One in six NYS adults reported direct or witnessed firearm violence. Direct exposure to firearm violence was associated with frequent mental distress.
Why does it matter?
- Prevention of firearm violence and treatment of subsequent trauma may be a pathway for improving mental health.
Abstract Category: Mental Health