In total, 3,790 youth exposed to parental firearm injury and 18,535 controls were included, with an average age of 10.7 years. The researchers found a sharp and persistent increase in rates of psychiatric diagnoses and mental health visits following parental firearm injury in the exposed group alone. Relative to the control group, exposed youth experienced a 42 percent increase in psychiatric diagnoses and 60 percent increase in mental health visits in the year after parental firearm injury. Mental health impacts of parental firearm injury were especially pronounced in female children and adolescents and for children with a parent whose injuries necessitated intensive-care unit treatment. “The mental health need that we have documented in this work is something that can be addressed by leveraging existing programs, while also improving interdisciplinary care coordination after firearm injury,” Karandinos said.