People who survive gun injuries face long-term consequences that affect their mental and physical health, according to a study published online in JAMA Surgery.
Researchers examined patient-reported outcomes among gunshot wound victims from Jan. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2017, at a single urban level 1 trauma center. They contacted all adult patients who survived and were discharged during the study period. They included 183 people who were still alive after discharge in the final study sample.
They found that 139 of the gunshot wound victims were employed before the injury, compared to 113 after the injury. Combined alcohol and substance use for the study participants increased by 13.2 percent.
The gunshot injury victims also had lower than average population scores on measures for physical health, mental health and physical function.
Around 48 percent of the victims screened positive for probable post-traumatic stress disorder.