Advocacy Through Legislation: Gun Violence

Advocacy through Legislation
Student’s Name
Institution
Advocacy through Legislation
Problem
Gun violence has become a public health crisis in the United States in recent years, as evidenced by the high mortality and injuries from firearm use. In the state of Virginia, gun violence is the second leading cause of unnatural death, with approximately 1036 gun-related deaths in 2018 from 836 deaths in 2007 (Yerkes & Hobron, 2018). While these statistics are significant, what is most alarming is that most of these gun-related deaths are not homicide; they are suicides. According to Yerkes and Hobron (2018), about two-thirds of gun-related deaths are suicides. The number of suicides linked to gun use has risen from 493 in 2007 to 674 in 2018. Also, 56% of all suicides in Virginia are gun-related (Yerkes & Hobron, 2018). While suicide has been attributed to many issues, the most common one is mental health problems, which account for 55% of all suicides (Virginia Department of Health (VDH), n.d.). Suicide has been classified as the second leading cause of death among young adults aged between 18 and 24 years old (Virginia Performs, n.d.). The death of individuals in this group has national ramifications. Loss of life by suicide translates to a loss of productivity. Also, suicide cause suffering to family members and can increase medical costs if death was not instant (Virginia Performs, n.d.). As more people continue gaining access to guns, the rate of suicide will continue rising. Suicide, and specifically gun-related suicide, can be prevented through appropriate policies.
Idea for Addressing the Problem
Based on the facts outlined above, gun-related suicide can best be addressed through legislation. Aligning legislation with suicide risks identified through psychiatric evaluations is the best way of helping at-risk populations while protecting the rights of those who are at no risk of suicide (Swanson, 2020). My idea of advocacy involves mandating psychological assessment before acquisition of a firearm and subsequent treatment of the individual found to need mental health care. If such legislation existed, it would ensure that at-risk individuals are protected from firearm suicide while still ensuring that their second amendment right is not infringed upon. As Rozel and Mulvey (2017) indicate, assessment of the mental health of individuals creates room for addressing the risk of gun violence through counseling. Appropriate assessment, using well-stipulated measures and instruments, can help healthcare professionals identify specific factors that can lead to self-harm. The idea is to ensure that guns do not end up in the hands of individuals who, if not treated, might pose a risk to themselves in the future using guns.
Research Supporting the Idea
Increased access to guns has been linked to increased rates of suicide (Rozel & Mulvey, 2017). This indicates that accessibility enhances the risk of suicide, which might explain why guns account for the highest percentage of all suicides. Restricting gun ownership based on mental health assessment can reduce the rate of suicide in Virginia. According to Keyes et al. (2019), disqualifying individuals with psychiatric issues from accessing guns reduce...