Study Evaluates Impact of Gun Laws on Mental Health

Strategic Insights -

Current research from Durham, North Carolina has shed light on the relationship between gun laws and mental health. A study examining the effects of firearm disqualification on individuals with a history of mental illness found that restrictions on gun ownership resulted in a decrease in gun-related violent crimes. However, the study also raised concerns about the potential consequences of restoring gun rights to individuals with mental health disqualifications.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study evaluated the impact of gun laws on a population of 128,090 adults in Virginia with a serious mental illness and record of at least one psychiatric hospitalization between 1998 and 2015.
  • Approximately half the study population acquired a gun-disqualifying record of a mental health adjudication or felony criminal conviction.
  • Among persons with a mental health disqualification, the annualized arrest rate for gun-involved violent crime subsequently declined by 35.9 percent during the prohibition period.
  • No decline was seen in the arrest rate for crimes not involving guns during the same period.
  • The likelihood of arrest for a gun-involved violent crime was further reduced among people whose disqualifying record was reported to the background check database (odds ratio (OR) = .7; 95% confidence interval (CI) .6 - .8; p < 0.001).
  • Study findings give cause for modest concern for the safety consequences of gun rights restoration as practiced in one state.

Statistics:

  • 128,090 adults in Virginia were studied, with approximately half acquiring a gun-disqualifying record.
  • The annualized arrest rate for gun-involved violent crime declined by 35.9% during the prohibition period.
  • The odds ratio for arrest for a gun-involved violent crime was 0.7, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.6 - 0.8, and a p-value of 0.001.
  • The study was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Sources:

  • Firearm Disqualification and Rights Restoration Among Adults With Mental Illness In Virginia. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 2025;53(3):273-286.
  • [1] NewsRx. New Findings Reported from Duke University Describe Advances in Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Firearm Disqualification and Rights Restoration Among Adults With Mental Illness In Virginia). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 500.