Psychosocial aspects of coping that predict post-traumatic stress disorder for African American survivors of homicide victims

"Keep it moving": The Traumatic Impact of Gun Violence in the Lives of Young Black Men

This study considers the experiences of young Black men who have been impacted by traumatic gun violence either directly through being shot or by witnessing gun violence. This study was completed to increase knowledge and awareness on the traumatic impacts of gun violence in the lives of young Black men, with the long-term purpose to use the knowledge to help build trauma informed programs young Black men who are survivors of gun violence. This study used a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach to conduct qualitative interviews with ten young Black men growing up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada who have been impacted by traumatic gun violence. The findings in this paper show how young Black men are impacted and cope with the experiences of gun violence in five ways: Isolation, Hypervigilance, Substance Use, Normalization, and Resilience. The discussion section outlines these findings, addressing how young Black men draw upon learned resiliency and "keep it moving" to manage the traumatic impacts. The implications section asserts the need for further qualitative research on young Black men's experiences of gun violence to find out what young Black men need to cope with traumatic gun violence. The conclusion states the need for further research and understanding on young Black men's experiences of gun violence. It encourages the need for accessible trauma informed spaces for young Black men to talk and process their emotions and experiences of gun violence as a profound step towards healing.

Gun violence exposure and population health inequality: a conceptual framework

This essay establishes a conceptual framework to understand how direct, secondar and community exposures to gun violence converge to influence population health. Our framework asserts that persistent gun violence in structurally disadvantaged communities enacts broad consequences for mental, physical and behavioural health, operating as a key driver of racial and socioeconomic health disparities. We discuss the applications of this framework for research and improved data collection with a focus on establishing timely and accurate measures of gun violence alongside individual and community health measures. We then address the policy implications of the framework, emphasising the need for long-term, institutional investment in gun violence prevention and intervention, survivor service provision and evidence-based policies at all levels of government.

The roles of vicarious trauma exposure and perceived social support in codeine syrup misuse among Black men living in prisons

Using General Strain Theory, this study investigates the effects of vicarious trauma exposure and perceived social support on nonmedical codeine syrup misuse among Black incarcerated men nearing community re-entry. Data were drawn from the Helping Incarcerated Men project, a study examining mental health, substance misuse, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviors among Black men living in prisons who were within 180 days of release. A total of 200 Black men self-reported demographics (i.e., age and length of incarceration after age 18), vicarious trauma exposure (e.g., ever witnessing an assault with a weapon and a sudden accidental death), perceived social support, and nonmedical codeine syrup misuse. Findings from the logistic regression analysis showed witnessing an assault with a weapon and a sudden accidental death increased the likelihood of codeine syrup misuse. Perceived social support was not associated with codeine syrup misuse. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Invisible Wounds: Exploring the Coping Strategies of Black Survivors of Homicide Victims in Canada

Canada has experienced a steady increase in homicide. Specifically, out of the 10 provinces and 3 territories, Ontario has consistently experienced the highest number of homicides, the majority concentrated within predominantly African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Despite this disproportionate reality, there is limited research on the ways in which survivors of homicide victims cope with the murder of their loved ones. This article explores the identification and characterization of coping strategies for ACB survivors of homicide victims residing in five neighbourhoods in the GTA. Participants in this study provided their insights and experiences, highlighting the coping mechanisms employed, the influence of cultural identity, and the challenges they experienced in accessing adequate care following the death of their loved ones. Implications for future research, policy and practice are discussed.

Firearm violence exposure and health in 2 national samples of Black and American Indian/Alaska Native adults

Exposure to firearm violence is widespread and disproportionately experienced by communities of color, with implications for broad health disparities. Survey data were collected from 2 nationally representative samples of Black (n = 3015) and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) (n = 527) adults in the United States in April and May 2023. The exposure measures were 4 types of firearm violence exposure. The outcome measures were self-rated health, number of poor physical health days, and number of poor mental health days. Regression results demonstrate that being threatened with a firearm and hearing about or witnessing a shooting were associated with poorer self-rated, mental, and physical health across both samples. Cumulative exposure to firearm violence was particularly associated with increasing harms to health for all outcomes. In general, individual and cumulative firearm violence exposures are linked to poorer health among Black and AI/AN adults in the United States. Significant enhancements and long-term investment are needed for firearm violence prevention to yield improvements to population health, particularly among communities burdened with high levels of exposure to firearm violence.