Psychiatric News (8/22) reported a study found that “nonfatal firearm injuries raise the risk of mental and substance use disorders (SUD).” The researchers used data from Marketscan “to compare claims from 2007 with claims from 2019.” They observed “a higher prevalence of diagnoses before injury among survivors but not among family members relative to controls.” Specifically, they found that “after nonfatal firearm injury, psychiatric disorders increased among survivors, including 77% for mood disorders, 146% for trauma-related disorders, 57% for anxiety disorders, and 73% to 305% for psychotic, neuropsychiatric, and other disorders.” They also found that SUD diagnoses “rose after firearm injury, including 99% for tobacco use disorder, 186% for alcohol use disorder, and 49% to 195% for opioid, cannabis, sedative, stimulant, and other substance use disorders.” The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Related Links:
— “Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders After Nonfatal Firearm Injury,” Katherine A. Koh, MD, MSc1; Mia Giuriato, BBA, MA3; Chana A. Sacks, MD, MPH JAMA Psychiatry, August 20, 2025 (Access Required)