Half of young adult patients treated in emergency departments in three urban hospitals across the country reported experiencing violence either as a victim or aggressor, including firearm violence, in the six months prior to seeking treatment, according to a University of Michigan study. Researchers surveyed and documented the experiences of more than 1,500 patients ages 18 to 24 who entered Level 1 trauma centers in Philadelphia, Seattle and Flint, Michigan, between July 2021 and May 2023. While half of the patients said they had experienced some form of violence, about 14% specifically reported threats involving guns or shootings, either as a victim or aggressor, and 6% reported having been shot or shooting someone else.
The findings are published in the journal Preventive Medicine . The study went beyond questions of violence and found that drug misuse, mental health symptoms, firearm carrying, violence or retaliatory attitudes, family conflict and prosocial behaviors focused on helping or benefiting others were associated with firearm assault. Additionally, more than half of participants self-reported high-risk substance use and screened positive for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression or anxiety, or both—higher than that of the general population.
All are factors that should be taken into consideration when screening for future violence, the researchers say. "These findings update previous ED-based studies of violence epidemiology and suggest there are other .