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Running head: MENTAL HEALTH AND GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA MENTAL HEALTH AND GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA Name of the Student Name of the University Author Note
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MENTAL HEALTH AND GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA1 Abstract A majority of the population is seriously reprimanding the easy availability of guns for the mentally unstable in United States of America (USA). The gun policies of America have been under serious criticism due to a number of violent attacks in the schools and other public places in the states. The issue being questioned is the easy and unsupervised sales and owner ship of guns and other assault weapons, which harm the people. The unsupervised law in USA causes a number of mass killings as suicides raising the need for gun control in the society. The guns should not be available to anyone in the society just because they can afford it. The number of per capita gun ownership is highest in the USA, even more than the war torn African states and the unstable states like Guatemala and Colombia. Objective The gun use and the mental health have been closely associated according to a number of studies in the USA. The high rate of suicides in the country has been associated to the gun control laws in the USA. However, majorities of the people ask for the free gun policy in the state but agree to the fact that there should be background checks on the people buying the guns. The background checks will help as they will help in stopping the sale of guns to people with a history of mental illness. The growing number population in the USA thinks that mentally disabled people or the people with a history of mental illness are a threat to the society. The number of gun violence activities and the stigma associated with mental illness is making the American society apprehensive of the mentally ill. Methods An in depth analysis of the easy availability of the guns to the public has also caused the people to take extreme measures because of minor situations. The issues faced by the
MENTAL HEALTH AND GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA2 society in such cases are a major threat. The Newtown Connecticut mass killings brought the situations arising out of lack of gun control policies out in the public. The number of mass killings in the USA greatly outnumbers that of other parts of the world. The amount of the people with mental illness should not give access to any hazardous material, which may cause public harm. The mental health of the society is also affected by the easy availability of the guns as people face a constant threat of homicide or other such incidents in the country. A study of the mental health of the people in the country affected by the sense of insecurity because of the lack of the gun laws of the country the racially biased crimes are also on the rise because of the lack of gun control in the country. One of the major examples to be cited in this case is that of Australia. After the 1996 Port Arthur massacre the Australian Parliament enforced strict laws for the citizens which led to considerable fall in the homicide rate and no mass massacre ever since. The Second Amendment protects the rights of the citizen of the country but that law has not been amended since it was first made. The change in the society and development in the ideology through time has to be taken into consideration to purview what kind of weapons should be freely accessible. The people should not have access to high-grade military weapons like assault rifles, which gives them a sense of power and control. This mixed with the pressures of the society that is posed today cause the people to retaliate in various ways, most of which are harmful for the society. Results The gun control laws of the USA very adversely affect the people in the society, as there is constant threat of the use of weapons. The majority of the community advocates strict gun control laws along with the complete prohibition in the sale of military grade weapons in the society. The background checks of the people who want to buy guns are supported by
MENTAL HEALTH AND GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA3 almost 91% of the society. The mental health of the society is very much affected by the gun control policy and the number of arms related crimes is high in such places. Conclusion Hence, USA needs to device stringent gun control policy with the background check on the people intending to buy the guns to check if the buyer suffers from issues like depression and anger management. The Second Amendment has to be amended to give room for the complete ban of the sale of military grade weapons.
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MENTAL HEALTH AND GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA4 Bibliography Brent, D. A., Miller, M. J., Loeber, R., Mulvey, E. P., & Birmaher, B. (2013). Ending the silence on gun violence.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,52(4), 333. Elson, M., & Ferguson, C. J. (2013). Gun violence and media effects: challenges for science and public policy. Hemenway, D. (2014). Guns, suicide, and homicide: individual-level versus population-level studies.Annals of internal medicine,160(2), 134-135. Jorm, A. F., & Reavley, N. J. (2014). Public belief that mentally ill people are violent: Is the USA exporting stigma to the rest of the world?.Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry,48(3), 213-215. McGinty, E. E., Webster, D. W., & Barry, C. L. (2014). Gun policy and serious mental illness: priorities for future research and policy.Psychiatric services,65(1), 50-58. Spitzer, R. J. (2015).Politics of gun control. Routledge. Swanson, J. W., McGinty, E. E., Fazel, S., & Mays, V. M. (2015). Mental illness and reduction of gun violence and suicide: bringing epidemiologic research to policy.Annals of epidemiology,25(5), 366-376. Weinberger, S. E., Hoyt, D. B., Lawrence, H. C., Levin, S., Henley, D. E., Alden, E. R., ... & Hubbard, W. C. (2015). Firearm-Related Injury and Death in the United States: A Call to Action From 8 Health Professional Organizations and the American Bar AssociationFirearm-Related Injury and Death in the United States.Annals of internal medicine,162(7), 513-516.