The Burden of Depressive Symptoms Associated With Gun Violence Exposure in the US Relative to Other Conditions

Purpose We compare the burden of depressive symptoms associated with gun violence exposure (GVE) to the burden of other conditions experienced by the US adult population to display the magnitude of opportunity to reduce emotional distress by reducing GVE. Design, Setting, and Sample Survey representative of the US adult population. Measures Respondent reports of cumulative frequency of gun violence exposure and PHQ-9 depressive symptom scores. Analysis We estimate the excess PHQ-9 points associated with GVE and convert them into disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) using disability weights from the Global Burden of Disease study. We then compare these DALYs to DALYs attributed to selected conditions that burden the US population. Results We estimated that the excess PHQ-9 points associated with GVE represent 3.15 million DALYs. This burden was approximately one-third that of ischemic heart disease and was slightly less than the burden of Alzheimer’s disease, chronic kidney disease, and lung cancer. It was almost twice the burden of colon cancer, firearm deaths, and breast cancer. When combined, the burden of fatal firearm injury together with the burden of depressive symptoms associated with GVE would only be less than the burdens of ischemic heart disease, drug use disorders, falls, and diabetes mellitus. Conclusion Implementing interventions that reduce the burden of GVE might have a significant impact on both individual and community well-being.