TY - JOUR
T1 - Heightened threat perceptions and reduced stability in anxiety and fear among U.S. adults who carry handguns
AU - Bryan, Craig J.
AU - Daruwala, Samantha E.
AU - Tabares, Jeffrey V.
AU - Butner, Jonathan E.
AU - Coccaro, Emil F.
AU - Gorka, Stephanie M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Research reported in this publication was supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R61MH125759 . The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The study sponsor had no role in the design or conduct of the study; the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; the preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - Firearm carrying is often motivated to provide safety and is correlated with increased anxiety related to elevated perceptions of the world as a dangerous place. No studies have investigated affective states among firearm owners as they occur in their natural environments. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine cognitive-affective states among firearm owners who carry handguns outside their home (n = 35), firearm owners who do not carry (n = 47), and non-firearm owners (n = 62). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire at baseline followed by EMA surveys of mood state with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) 6 times per day for 28 consecutive days. Carry handgun owners reported significantly higher threat perceptions, measured with the negative cognitions about the world subscale of the shortened Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI), than no-carry handgun owners (Mdiff=2.0, 95% CI=0.8–2.0, d=0.45, p = .001) and non-owners (Mdiff=1.8, 95% CI=0.6–2.9, d=0.42, p = .003). Groups did not significantly differ in mean momentary mood ratings assessed via EMA but stability in high-arousal negative arousal was significantly reduced among carry handgun owners (F(2, 150)= 3.7, p = .026). Results suggest firearm owners who carry handguns view the world as especially dangerous, are more likely to experience shifts in anxiety and fear, and take longer to recover from periods of elevated anxiety and fear.
AB - Firearm carrying is often motivated to provide safety and is correlated with increased anxiety related to elevated perceptions of the world as a dangerous place. No studies have investigated affective states among firearm owners as they occur in their natural environments. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine cognitive-affective states among firearm owners who carry handguns outside their home (n = 35), firearm owners who do not carry (n = 47), and non-firearm owners (n = 62). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire at baseline followed by EMA surveys of mood state with the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) 6 times per day for 28 consecutive days. Carry handgun owners reported significantly higher threat perceptions, measured with the negative cognitions about the world subscale of the shortened Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI), than no-carry handgun owners (Mdiff=2.0, 95% CI=0.8–2.0, d=0.45, p = .001) and non-owners (Mdiff=1.8, 95% CI=0.6–2.9, d=0.42, p = .003). Groups did not significantly differ in mean momentary mood ratings assessed via EMA but stability in high-arousal negative arousal was significantly reduced among carry handgun owners (F(2, 150)= 3.7, p = .026). Results suggest firearm owners who carry handguns view the world as especially dangerous, are more likely to experience shifts in anxiety and fear, and take longer to recover from periods of elevated anxiety and fear.
KW - Anxiety
KW - Firearms
KW - Negative affect
KW - Threat perceptions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85168557761&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102764
DO - 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102764
M3 - Article
C2 - 37597342
AN - SCOPUS:85168557761
SN - 0887-6185
VL - 99
JO - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
JF - Journal of Anxiety Disorders
M1 - 102764
ER -