Lauren Magee
Assistant ProfessorCriminal Justice
ude[dot]ui[at]eegamal
A Mixed-Methods Approach to Improving Behavioral Health Outcomes of Nonfatal Firearm Injury Victims
This research is currently funded through an Indiana University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) KL2 award which seeks to understand and improve the health outcomes of nonfatal firearm victims. Firearm injury is a leading public health issue in the United States because of its significant mortality, morbidity, and health care costs, however, little is understood about the long-term behavioral health outcomes and healthcare needs of nonfatal firearm injury victims. Nonfatal firearm injuries and violence impacts the long-term health of individuals and communities who experience such trauma on a daily basis. Therefore, this research seeks to identify disparities in long-term behavioral health outcomes and healthcare needs of nonfatal firearm victims post injury. This mixed-methods interdisciplinary project (1) examines clinical care utilization, behavioral health outcomes (e.g., mental health and substance use disorder) and mortality among nonfatal firearm injury victims within five years of injury, and (2) explores gaps in healthcare services and barriers to care through qualitative interviews with nonfatal shooting victims, family members, law enforcement personnel, and healthcare providers. This project is a vital first step in understanding the long-term behavioral health outcomes of nonfatal firearm victims to identify opportunities for future clinical and community-based interventions.