From Reuters
Tuesday September 26 5:36 PM ET
Many parents of depressed teens do not give up guns
By Alan Mozes
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The majority of gun-owning families whose adolescent children are receiving treatment for depression do not dispose of their household weapons--even after being counseled about the link between firearms and suicide, according to researchers.
Over a 2-year period, investigators surveyed and interviewed the families of 106 adolescents who participated in a 3-month treatment program for major depression. Just over one quarter of the families had firearms in the household, and they were informed about the association between gun-ownership and increased suicide risk before being counseled to remove guns from their home.
``Most people who had guns in the home, and whom we asked to remove them, did not do so, even though they agreed to,'' said Dr. David A. Brent, study lead author and a professor at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The study findings are published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Brent and his colleagues found that only one quarter of those families who owned guns prior to beginning treatment had removed them from the home by the conclusion of treatment--a number that rose to almost one-third when surveyed 2 years after treatment. The authors note that those families that did remove guns were more likely to perceive their child to be at suicide risk.
Brent expressed frustration that more families did not take an active stance to remove guns even when expressing willingness to do so after being apprised of the rising gun-related suicide rate in the US over recent decades.
``These were people who were very compliant with all aspects of a demanding research study, so in general they were quite willing to do what we asked,'' Brent told Reuters Health. ``Not only that, but around one in six people who did not have a gun at the time of intake into the study acquired one. Clearly, we need to find better ways to communicate our concern about having a gun in the home of a depressed, sometimes suicidal teen.''
SOURCE: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2000;39:1220-1226.
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Copyright © 2000 Yahoo! Inc., and Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Interesting!
Haven't they heard of gun safes.
Geoff Ross
Tuesday September 26 5:36 PM ET
Many parents of depressed teens do not give up guns
By Alan Mozes
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The majority of gun-owning families whose adolescent children are receiving treatment for depression do not dispose of their household weapons--even after being counseled about the link between firearms and suicide, according to researchers.
Over a 2-year period, investigators surveyed and interviewed the families of 106 adolescents who participated in a 3-month treatment program for major depression. Just over one quarter of the families had firearms in the household, and they were informed about the association between gun-ownership and increased suicide risk before being counseled to remove guns from their home.
``Most people who had guns in the home, and whom we asked to remove them, did not do so, even though they agreed to,'' said Dr. David A. Brent, study lead author and a professor at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The study findings are published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Brent and his colleagues found that only one quarter of those families who owned guns prior to beginning treatment had removed them from the home by the conclusion of treatment--a number that rose to almost one-third when surveyed 2 years after treatment. The authors note that those families that did remove guns were more likely to perceive their child to be at suicide risk.
Brent expressed frustration that more families did not take an active stance to remove guns even when expressing willingness to do so after being apprised of the rising gun-related suicide rate in the US over recent decades.
``These were people who were very compliant with all aspects of a demanding research study, so in general they were quite willing to do what we asked,'' Brent told Reuters Health. ``Not only that, but around one in six people who did not have a gun at the time of intake into the study acquired one. Clearly, we need to find better ways to communicate our concern about having a gun in the home of a depressed, sometimes suicidal teen.''
SOURCE: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2000;39:1220-1226.
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Copyright © 2000 Yahoo! Inc., and Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Interesting!
Haven't they heard of gun safes.
Geoff Ross
.