The public health issue identified in this study involves gun violence, which is a critical aspect that has a major impact on the health care system in any given society. Gun violence involves the use of firearm to inflict pain and harm. Gun violence is one of the key issues affecting the society today attributed to the increased number of cases associated with usage of guns. In the United States, the government notes that gun violence is one of the leading cause of premature death with the number of people dying due to this issue increasing on an annual basis. From that view, this report seeks to engage in an in-depth analysis of the issue with the focus being towards understanding the extent to which this is an issue of concern as a way of defining probable solutions.
Background information
Gun violence entails the use of firearms to engage in criminal and non-criminal violence leading to deaths and severe injuries to the persons affected. According to Lee (2018), approximately 38,000 die annually due to gun violence in the United States alone with the number of injuries arising from such instances of gun violence exceeding 85,000 annually. The issue of gun violence has faced a significant increase based on the recorded number of accidents that are associated with improper use of firearms in the society. According to Wu (2018), the United States records the highest number of cases involving gun violence, which is an aspect attributed to the high number of persons that own guns in the society. The issue is significant in the United States due to lack of effective gun control policies that would be in a position towards ensuring that people are restricted from accessing such weapons.
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Population Affected
The most affected population affected by the issue of gun violence in the society entails the youths that are aged between 15-24years who engage in improper use of firearms such as in criminal violence. There are a number of factors such as negligence that are attributed to the increase in cases involving gun violence within the given population. When implementing policies on gun violence, policymakers focus much of their attention on this particular population with the focus being towards ensuring that the youth are protected from increased cases of premature deaths. The issue of gun violence also affects school children significantly taking into account that the number of school shootings have also increased significantly with students gaining access to guns that they use for such acts of mass shootings.
Local, State, or National Level
From a national level, the issue of gun violence remains as one of the most significant issues that have created an avenue for debate among policymakers. According to Blondeel, de Vasconcelos, García-Moreno, Stephenson, Temmerman, & Toskin (2018), the number of people that have died due to gun-related violence between 2014 and 2017 is over 56,700, which acts as a clear indication of the need for urgent measures to help curb the issue. On the other hand, the United States has experienced over 1,300 mass shootings during the same period some of which have affected schools in the country.
The issue is not only viewed from the perspective of the issue affecting the youth but can also be viewed based on the impacts on school-going children. In 2018, the United States has experienced 23 instances of school shootings, which has become a key issue of concern taking into account the number of people impacted by these shootings. From this perspective, it becomes essential to engage in an in-depth analysis of effective solutions that would not only help in reducing the number of gun-related violence cases but would help in limiting the effects of such instances of violence.
Problem Statement
Adoption of a public health approach in addressing the issue of gun violence is necessary, as this would have in presenting a different perspective on the issue, which has had notable effects in the United States public health system. In this statement, one of the key aspects to recognize is the fact that lack of an effective platform from which to deal with this public health issue acts as one of the key challenges in finding effective solutions. Thus, this creates the need for having to focus on the adoption of a public health approach, which would reflect more on the idea of viewing gun violence as a health issue.
Suggestions for Addressing the Issue
The following are some of the suggests that would be of great value in dealing with this issue:
Gun Control Policies
In this suggestion, the focus is adoption of gun control policies that would seek to limit access to weapons with the focus being towards providing the government with some form of control over this issue. One key policy that would be of value is ensuring that gun owners go through a mental health background check with the focus being towards identifying individuals with a history of mental health issues. The ultimate outcome is that this would help towards reducing access to guns for individuals facing risks of mental health issues with the sole focus being towards reducing gun-related cases.
Public Health Recognition
The second suggestion revolves around the idea of having to recognize gun violence from the perspective of public health with the focus being towards adoption of public health solutions to meet the generalized outcomes. In this view, the focus is trying to evaluate some of the mental health aspects that tend to create the need for people to engage in acts of gun violence. Mental health professionals may reflect on areas such as depression and anxiety among school children, which may act as some of the risk factors contributing to the issue in question. From that view, it becomes much easier for the mental health professionals to set out effective solutions towards dealing with the mental health aspects contributing to the situation at hand.
Impact on the Health Care Delivery System
The main impact of gun violence on the health care delivery system revolves around the issue of cost taking into account that this issue contributes to a significant increase in the cost of health care. The United States government finds itself in a position where it is spending a significant amount of money in dealing with injuries associated with gun violence. Rajan, Branas, Hargarten, & Allegrante (2018) indicate that the government spends approximately $400 million on gun-related cases, which is a significant among considering that budgetary allocations to the Department of Health and Human Services. From that view, it is clear dealing with the issue of gun violence may act as one of the notable outcomes in ensuring that the costs of health care reduce.
References
Blondeel, K., de Vasconcelos, S., García-Moreno, C., Stephenson, R., Temmerman, M., & Toskin, I. (2018). Violence motivated by perception of sexual orientation and gender identity: a systematic review. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation , 96 (1), 29-41.
Lee, D. R. (2018). Becoming More Sympathetic with Black Lives Matter. Regulation , 41 (2), 58.
Rajan, S., Branas, C. C., Hargarten, S., & Allegrante, J. P. (2018). Funding for gun violence research is key to the health and safety of the nation. American Journal of Public Health, 108(2), 194-195.
Wu, S. (2018). The Effects of Cueing and Framing on Youth Attitudes towards Gun Control and Gun Rights. Social Sciences , 7 (2), 1-18.
