Citation

Guerrero APS, Miao TA, Brenner AM. Acad. Psychiatry 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American Psychiatric Publishing)

DOI

10.1007/s40596-023-01883-6

PMID

37814122

Abstract

The special topical collection of articles on the role of psychiatric education in addressing mass shootings and preventing violence in the October 2023 issue of Academic Psychiatry is fundamentally a call, or kāhea (in the place where the first and second authors are privileged to live), to collective learning among psychiatric educators, to better understand and leverage the role we can play in addressing the complex problem of mass shootings and violence prevention. This collection is a living resource for those of us who refuse to accept that the unthinkable tragedy of a mass shooting is becoming a "new normal," a regular feature in the social landscape of the USA [1]. We are compelled by the claim made in The Violence Project that "there are no quick fixes to systemic social problems…and layering imperfect solutions holistically is the only way to prevent mass violence" [2]. We believe that psychiatric education can be improved and expanded to prepare trainees to embrace complexity and creative problem-solving. Psychiatric education can further support trainees' growth in knowledge, skills, and, most importantly, sense of agency and capacity to collaborate to reverse and heal the disturbing trends of public violence in this country.

At the time of this writing, in late July 2023, there have already been at least 406 mass shootings in the USA, involving "a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter who may also have been killed or injured in the incident" [3]. In this database, we count 455 deaths and 1698 injured from these incidents, spanning 41 states and the District of Columbia, ranging from small rural jurisdictions to urban centers to island communities. No local community in the USA is immune to the threat of violence, particularly incidences of mass shooting. A notable increase in firearm homicide and suicide rates coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic [4], further emphasizing the need for mental health professionals to be equipped in the areas of prevention, early intervention, and postvention in recognition of the heightened risks of gun violence.

We also want to acknowledge that this collection lays the foundation for further psychiatric education and training related to the effects of exposure to persistent gun violence, as may be experienced in urban neighborhoods shaped by structural racism, such as residential segregation and public disinvestment. The sustained prevalence of gun violence in association with concentrated poverty and constrained opportunities is a health equity issue that is disproportionately borne by communities of color [5]. Many of the recommendations for policy change that psychiatrists can champion (e.g., culturally responsive and trauma-informed care, firearm controls, resources for violence prevention programs) are also found in this special collection. Past issues of the journal have included pertinent articles on firearm anticipatory guidance training [6,7,8], violence prevention education [9, 10], and mass shootings...

Language: en