In a groundbreaking new study published in the journal PLOS One, researchers from the University of Michigan, the University of South Florida (USF), the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Michigan State University have shed light on the concerning consequences of pandemic-era firearm purchases. The results reveal a complex web of mental health problems and political extremism associated with this group.
Key findings from the study showed that individuals who purchased firearms during the COVID-19 pandemic exhibited significantly higher rates of recent suicidal thoughts, self-harm behaviors, and intimate partner violence compared to other firearm owners and those who do not own firearms. The results also highlight the extreme beliefs held by this same group, often encompassing anti-vaccination views and support for QAnon conspiracy theories. These findings underscore the profound impact of the events surrounding the pandemic and the 2020 election on certain individuals, influencing their perspectives and behaviors.
person views survey on a mobile phone (Adobe stock photo)
Dr. Edelyn Verona, a professor in the Department of Psychology at USF and one of the authors on the study, explained that the results could provide a dire outlook on the future of firearm use and gun violence in the U.S. She and her colleague Dr. Bryanna Fox, a professor in the Department of Criminology at USF, shared similar concerns in a previous op-ed in the Tampa Bay Times in May 2020, during the height of the pandemic and lockdowns across the country. When the opportunity to participate in the study was presented to her by lead author Dr. Brian Hicks, from University of Michigan, she felt compelled to offer her expertise.
“I responded to Dr. Hicks with my idea to examine gun purchases during the pandemic, as this represented an extraordinary time of stress and disruption that coincided with political upheaval in the country,” Verona said. “This was also a time in which gun purchases went up dramatically.”
The data collection process consisted of recruited respondents using an online survey tool and app to provide their answers to various questions related to pandemic-era behavior and thinking. According to Verona, “recruitment was designed to ascertain a sample consistent with major demographic characteristics of the U.S. adult population.”
Verona believes the results of the study could present opportunities for state or federal policy recommendations or public health interventions to address risks associated with pandemic firearm buyers.
“State and federal firearm policies are important when it comes to limiting access to firearms among individuals who are engaging in risky or dangerous behaviors, and these include risk protection orders (RPO) that are a civil court option to temporarily remove firearms from those who are at risk of hurting themselves or others with firearms,” Verona explained.
“Beyond that, individual health care providers can pay attention to risk in their clients or patients, and collaboratively restrict the means of harm among the people they work with,” she continued. “Behavioral health research plays a key role in public health, and in the wake of the 2020 rise in gun sales and deaths, our data can help inform further public health campaigns to reach the pandemic era gun buyers who are at the highest risk.”
Verona says the research team has already expanded data collection for the next phase of the study, which will include an additional 300 individuals, including pandemic-era gun buyers. Analyses for the expanded data are currently pending.