A phenomenological study identifying facilitators and barriers to Black and Latinx youth's engagement in hospital‐based violence intervention programs

Voith, Laura A.; Lee, Hyunjune; Atwell, Meghan Salas; King, Jasmine; McKinney, Sherise; Russell, Katie; Withrow, Ashley

doi:10.1111/hsc.13900

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…22 These programs, however, are not implemented in all (or even most) trauma hospitals, are limited in mental health resources, and often experience low engagement due to systemic barriers such as distrust in hospital staff, hospital workflow, and difficulty connecting with survivors after hospital discharge. 21,23,24 Several qualitative studies of firearm injury survivors have described significant barriers when seeking clinical care after injury, including a general lack of trust in practitioners, inadequate patientclinician communication about needs after discharge, lack of transportation to medical services, and difficulty identifying and navigating mental health services. [11][12][13][14]25 An important limitation of existing studies is a lack of focus on mental health care utilization and participant engagement in support services.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Violence intervention specialists typically have personal experience with violence and strive to establish rapport with survivors . These programs, however, are not implemented in all (or even most) trauma hospitals, are limited in mental health resources, and often experience low engagement due to systemic barriers such as distrust in hospital staff, hospital workflow, and difficulty connecting with survivors after hospital discharge …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Engagement With Mental Health Services Among Survivors of Firearm Injury

Magee,

Ortiz,

Adams

et al. 2023

JAMA Netw Open

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ImportanceDespite the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms after firearm injury, little is known about how firearm injury survivors connect with mental health services.ObjectiveTo determine facilitators and barriers to mental health care engagement among firearm injury survivors.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA qualitative study of 1-on-1, semistructured interviews conducted within a community setting in Indianapolis, Indiana, between June 2021 and January 2022. Participants were recruited via community partners and snowball sampling. Participants who survived an intentional firearm injury, were shot within Indianapolis, were aged 13 years or older, and were English speaking were eligible. Participants were asked to discuss their lives after firearm injury, the emotional consequences of their injury, and their utilization patterns of mental health services. Data were analyzed from August 2022 to June 2023.Main Outcomes and MeasuresSurvivors’ lived experience after firearm injury, sources of emotional support, mental health utilization, and their desired engagement with mental health care after firearm injury.ResultsA total of 18 participants (17 were Black [94%], 16 were male [89%], and 14 were aged between 13 and 24 years [77%]) who survived a firearm injury were interviewed. Survivors described family members, friends, and informal networks as their main source of emotional support. Barriers to mental health care utilization were perceived as a lack of benefit to services, distrust in practitioners, and fear of stigma. Credible messengers served as facilitators to mental health care. Survivors also described the emotional impact their shooting had on their families, particularly mothers, partners, and children.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this study of survivors of firearm injury, findings illustrated the consequences of stigma and fear when seeking mental health care, inadequate trusted resources, and the need for awareness of and access to mental health resources for family members and communities most impacted by firearm injury. Future studies should evaluate whether community capacity building, digital health delivery, and trauma-informed public health campaigns could overcome these barriers to mitigate the emotional trauma of firearm injuries to reduce health disparities and prevent future firearm violence.

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