Do school shootings increase stress-related emergency department visits in local communities?

New research in Contemporary Economic Policy reveals that school shootings may worsen mental health in surrounding communities and increase health system costs.

For the study, investigators compared the number of stress-related emergency department visits by California residents in zip-codes within 5 miles of school shootings and by California residents in zip-codes 10–15 miles from school shootings, both before and after these violent events.

Compared with before school shootings, exposure to school shootings and to fatal school shootings was associated with increases of 0.7 and 1.5 stress-related emergency department visits per 1,000 people in a zip-code annually, increases of 7% and 14%, respectively.

“Given the rise in school shootings and mass shootings in recent years, our work reinforces calls to prevent gun violence as our findings point to previously unmeasured community-wide costs of shootings,” said corresponding author Kritee Gujral, PhD, of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, in Palo Alto.

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/coep.12603

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, [email protected]

About the Journal
First published in 1982, Contemporary Economic Policy publishes scholarly research and analysis on important policy issues facing society. The journal provides insight into the complexity of policy decisions and communicates evidence-based solutions in a form accessible to economists and policy makers. Contemporary Economic Policy provides a forum for debate by enhancing our understanding of key issues and methods used for policy analysis.

About Wiley
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a global leader in scientific research and career-connected education. Founded in 1807, Wiley enables discovery, powers education, and shapes workforces. Through its industry-leading content, digital platforms, and knowledge networks, the company delivers on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.