In this study, researchers examined depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurring in individuals who had experienced a mass shooting.
This study explored the prevalence of and risk factors for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a mass shotting. Of the 1000 adults randomly selected from the list, 202 responded to the recruiter and 177 eligible participants completed the survey (response rate 17.7%). Participants included 132 females (74.6%) and 45 males (25.4%), with a mean (SD) age of 43.5 (12.5) years. Of these respondents, 58 (32.8%) were physically injured during the MVI and 88 (49.7%) reported having low social support .Participants were adult witnesses and survivors of the shooting who were recruited from a list of those who were eligible for but had not necessarily received services from the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center. Witnesses were defined as those who were present at the scene and/or sustained physical injuries, whereas survivors included family members or friends of people who were physically injured or killed. Data were collected between September 3 and November 11, 2021, using a self-administered online survey. The Boston University and Medical University of South Carolina Institutional Review Boards approved this cross-sectional study. (Published Abstract Provided)