The mental health toll and lifelong consequences of gun violence in America

[0:00] GUN VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO IMPACT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON A DAILY BASIS, [0:05] OFTEN IN WAYS THAT DON'T MAKE THE NEWS, BUT CREATE LIFELONG CONSEQUENCES FOR VICTIMS, [0:10] THEIR FAMILIES, EVEN ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS. THE NORMALIZATION OF SHOOTINGS, FUELED IN PART [0:15] BY EASY ACCESS TO GUNS, HAS CREATED A PERSISTENT PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. WILLIAM BRANGHAM TELLS US MORE. [0:22] WILLIAM BRANGHAM TELLS US MORE THINK OF THE MOST RECENT SHOOTINGS THAT MADE NATIONAL NEWS. [0:26] THE FOILED ATTACK ON PRESIDENT TRUMP THIS WEEKEND, FOR SURE. [0:30] BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HORRIBLE MURDER OF EIGHT CHILDREN TWO SUNDAYS AGO IN LOUISIANA? [0:35] THAT RECEIVED FAR LESS ATTENTION. [0:37] OR WHAT ABOUT THE MASS SHOOTING IN INDIANA THREE DAYS AGO WHERE NINE PEOPLE WERE SHOT? [0:43] ACCORDING TO THE GUN VIOLENCE ARCHIVE, WHILE SHOOTINGS ARE GOING DOWN, IN JUST THE LAST 72 HOURS, [0:50] THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 175 DIFFERENT SHOOTINGS IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE SOMEONE WAS SHOT OR KILLED. [0:57] THAT IS JUST THREE DAYS' WORTH. [0:59] FOR MORE ON HOW WE RECKON WITH THIS ONGOING TOLL, WE ARE JOINED AGAIN BY DR. EMMY BETTS. [1:05] SHE'S AN ER DOCTOR AND ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR CENTERS AND INSTITUTES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO ANN SHUTT SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND DIRECTOR OF THE FIREARM INJURY PREVENTION INITIATIVE. [1:17] DR. BETTS, SO NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. [1:19] DO YOU THINK WE HAVE JUST GOTTEN DESENSITIZED TO THIS ONGOING TOLL OF GUN VIOLENCE? [1:25] I THINK TO SOME EXTENT WE HAVE. [1:27] I THINK ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE KIND OF OTHER NOISE THAT WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH IN THE CHAOTIC WORLD WE'RE LIVING IN. [1:31] BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT SETTLE FOR THIS AS A NEW NORMAL. [1:35] IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS SO THAT WE CAN FIND A BETTER FUTURE. [1:45] AND I KNOW YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT, AS I MENTIONED, SHOOTINGS, WHILE STILL HORRENDOUS, ARE GOING DOWN. [1:53] RIGHT. [1:54] I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE TALK ABOUT THAT GUN VIOLENCE AS A PROBLEM IS BIG AND COMPLEX AND IT'S NOT JUST MASS SHOOTINGS. [2:02] WE KNOW THE DAILY TOLL OF VIOLENCE, THE MAJORITY OF GUN DEATHS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE FROM SUICIDE. [2:09] THAT'S BEEN A PERSISTENT PROBLEM AND WE'RE NOT SEEING IMPROVEMENT DESPITE A LOT OF PROMISING WORK. [2:14] BUT WHERE WE ARE SEEING IMPROVEMENT IS IN HOMICIDE. [2:17] SO GUN MURDERS ARE AT HISTORIC LOWS IN TERMS OF DECREASES IN RATES AND NUMBERS FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. [2:24] AND THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE. [2:26] DO YOU HAVE A SENSE, DO OTHER RESEARCHERS HAVE A SENSE AS TO WHY THOSE ARE GOING DOWN? [2:30] SO THERE'S NOT A SINGLE ANSWER. [2:33] AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BOTH COMPLICATED ABOUT THESE DISCUSSIONS BUT ALSO SHOULD BRING US HOPE. [2:38] THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ONE PERFECT FIX TO THIS PROBLEM. [2:41] THERE'S NOT ONE LAW. [2:42] THERE'S NOT ONE POLICING APPROACH OR ONE INTERVENTION WE NEED TO PUT IN PLACE. [2:47] IT TAKES A LOT OF PIECES WORKING TOGETHER. [2:50] SO WE'VE SEEN A DECREASE IN MURDER RATES BECAUSE OF THINGS LIKE WRAPAROUND AND COMPREHENSIVE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS [2:57] TO GET AT THOSE UPSTREAM RISK FACTORS RELATED TO SOCIOECONOMIC STRESS, JOB STRESS, ET CETERA. [3:03] WE'RE SEEING DIFFERENCES IN POLICING APPROACHES. [3:06] ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT CAN WORK TOGETHER, EVEN THINGS LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN, BETTER LIGHTING, BETTER GREEN SPACES, [3:12] AND HAVE AN IMPACT IN HELPING REDUCE VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WE SEE THAT MURDER RATE GO DOWN. [3:19] WE ARE, THOUGH, STILL HAVING PERSISTENT PROBLEMS RELATED TO VIOLENCE WITHIN HOMES. [3:24] SO I MENTIONED SUICIDE, BUT WE ALSO REALLY NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. [3:29] AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SUICIDE ARE OFTEN CLOSELY LINKED, AS WE'VE SEEN IN RECENT CASES. [3:34] AS YOU MENTIONED, WE OFTEN IN THE MEDIA FOCUS ON BIG SHOOTINGS, THE ONES WITH THE REALLY GRIM DEATH TOLLS. [3:41] BUT THAT OFTEN OVERLOOKS THE MUCH LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SURVIVE SHOOTINGS, EITHER SHOOTINGS OF [3:49] THEMSELVES OR OF THEIR LOVED ONES, AND WHO THEN OFTEN HAVE TO RECKON WITH THAT TRAUMA FOR YEARS, [3:56] MAYBE THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. [3:58] NO, IT'S VERY TRUE. [4:00] WE TALK A LOT ABOUT THE DEATHS, BECAUSE, IN SOME WAYS, THOSE ARE EASIER TO COUNT. [4:05] BUT WE DO NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE BIGGER TOLL THAT IT'S HAVING ON ALL OF US. [4:09] AS SURVIVORS AND AS A SOCIETY WHERE WE SEE PEOPLE CHANGING BEHAVIOR BECAUSE OF FEAR OF MASS SHOOTINGS AND SO FORTH. [4:15] AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL PEOPLE CAN HAVE COMPLEX AND DIFFERING RESPONSES AFTER TRAUMA. [4:21] SOMEBODY MIGHT SEEM FINE RIGHT AWAY AND THEN HAVE SYMPTOMS DEVELOP LATER. [4:25] AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH ANY KIND OF TRAUMA, IF YOU'VE BEEN IN A MASS SHOOTING SITUATION, [4:31] OR IF YOU'VE LOST A LOVED ONE TO VIOLENCE, THAT THERE ARE EFFECTIVE AND EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENTS OUT THERE AND THERE'S HELP AVAILABLE. [4:38] DO YOU THINK THAT, IN PART, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT SUICIDES AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THEIR RELATION TO GUN VIOLENCE, [4:46] BECAUSE, IN SOME WAYS, THOSE ARE CONSIDERED TABOO TOPICS, THINGS THAT ARE JUST FOR THAT'S SOMEONE'S INTERNAL PROBLEM. [4:56] THAT'S NOT A NATIONAL PROBLEM. [4:58] I THINK SO. [4:59] AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT AGAINST THAT STIGMA. [5:03] I THINK, DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC, WE SAW A LOT OF INCREASED AWARENESS ABOUT HOW SORT OF THE [5:08] ROLLER COASTER OF LIFE BRINGS UPS AND DOWNS FOR ALL OF US. [5:12] AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SUICIDE AND FIREARM SUICIDE IN PARTICULAR, WE KNOW IT'S THAT WHEN SOMEONE'S IN A BAD MOMENT. [5:18] SO MAYBE IT'S MENTAL ILLNESS, BUT MAYBE IT'S ALSO LOSING A JOB, GETTING DIVORCED, KIND OF HAVING ALL OF THOSE BAD THINGS IN LIFE HIT YOU AT ONCE. [5:25] IF A LETHAL METHOD LIKE A GUN IS AVAILABLE, THE PERSON IS MUCH LESS LIKELY TO SURVIVE. [5:31] SO IT'S NOT THAT THE GUN CAUSES THE SUICIDE, BUT IT'S THAT IN THAT MOMENT, IT'S LESS SAFE FOR SOMEONE. [5:37] IF THEY'RE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WITH A GUN. [5:40] IT'S VERY MUCH LIKE A DESIGNATED DRIVER AT THE BAR WHO HELPS A FRIEND GET HOME WHILE THEY'RE IMPAIRED. [5:45] IN THE SAME WAY, WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE REDUCE ACCESS TO FIREARMS FOR PEOPLE GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES, [5:52] WHO MIGHT BE AT SUICIDE RISK, ELEVATED RISK OF SUICIDE, BUT WHO MIGHT ALSO, MAYBE THEY'RE DEALING WITH ANGER ISSUES AND GOING THROUGH A BAD DIVORCE, [6:00] AND MIGHT BE AT RISK OF HURTING THEIR PARTNER OR THEIR FAMILY, FOR EXAMPLE. [6:03] SO THAT'S WHERE, AGAIN, IT'S NOT THAT THE GUN IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM, BUT IT'S A KEY FACTOR THAT LEADS TO FATAL OUTCOMES. [6:10] DR. EMMY BETTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO INCHUTTS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU. [6:16] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:17] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:18] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:38] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:39] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:40] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:41] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:42] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:43] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:44] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:45] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:46] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:47] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:48] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:49] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:50] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:51] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:52] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:53] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:54] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:55] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:56] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:57] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:58] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [6:59] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [7:00] THANK YOU SO MUCH. [7:01] THANK YOU SO MUCH.