Gun violence, disability and recovery

Read online: Scan this QR code with your smart phone or mobile device to read online. The public health approach to the prevention of violence has been applied for almost the last 40 years. During this period, several studies have shown that in many countries where firearms are abundant and violence rates are high, the proportion of people dying because of firearms is high. Several studies have shown that the risk of suicide in the home due to firearms is increased when access to these devices is easy. The same occurs for homicide and for accidental deaths in the home. Whilst these studies show to a great extent the devastating effects of fatal gun injuries they do not sufficiently capture the human consequences of injuries occurring due to exposure to these devices.