After The Smoke Clears: Years of Recovery for Gunshot Victims

A new study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association (JAMA):

"the outcomes of firearm injury reach far beyond mortality statistics; survivors of gunshot wounds may benefit from early identification and the initiation of long-term, multidisciplinary longitudinal care to improve recovery."

     The victims studies were largely in the Philadelphia area, and that city's Inquirer newspaper broke down the major impacts:

"When they took part in the study, nearly 49% screened positive for likely PTSD, even several years later, compared with a lifetime prevalence of a little less than 7% for the general population. Their combined drug and alcohol use as a group had increased by over 13%, and their employment rate had decreased over 14%. The researchers also found they were much more likely than others to have limits on their physical functions, even years after the initial injury."

     FULL STORY is HERE.