Editor:
Should the second Amendment be interpreted by the Supreme Court as the free right to bear arms by all in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller (76 U.S.L.W. 4631 (2008)), this lenient gun legislation will have profound effects on mortality and morbidity. Stricter gun law legislation is associated with reduced rates of both suicides and homicides in Canada, Australia, and Austria.1–3 Loftin et al.4 showed that restrictions in gun access has led to declines in homicides and suicides, while Rosengart et al.5 found that eliminating restrictions on carrying a concealed weapon has been associated with increased firearm homicide rates in the United States. Handgun purchase has been shown to be associated with increased risk of mortality for several years.6
Those with mental illness may be more adversely affected by relaxed gun law legislation. Suicide and homicide have low base rates of occurrence7 compared with the prevalence of mental illness.8 Individuals with mental disorders are as likely as those without to have access to carry or store a gun in an unsafe manner.9 Threats made with guns and other weapons increase with the presence of mental illness.10 At the same time, the rate of violent victimization has been found to outweigh the perpetration of violence.11 The mentally ill will be negatively impacted by relaxed gun law legislation. Policymakers should be well informed of the wide-reaching implications of such changes.
- American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
