# Developing Trauma Networks of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults to Examine the "Ripple Effect" of Firearm Injuries

> **NIH NIH R21** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2024 · $236,660

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Firearm injury and death is a public health epidemic that spreads through communities and
social networks in the United States much like an infectious disease. Individuals who survive a
firearm injury (i.e., nonfatal survivors), experience increases in the risk of adverse health
outcomes, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Family
members of homicide victims, nonfatal firearm injury survivors (i.e., secondary survivors), and
communities more broadly are also affected. Due to methodological limitations, we have very
little data on what trauma networks (defined as individual(s) present at a shooting event and/or
family member(s) of a fatal victim/nonfatal survivor) look like and much less on the long-term
health effects of being in the network of a firearm injury. This is a critical question because these
trauma networks – people exposed but not injured – are likely at high risk of adverse health
outcomes, particularly children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYA) and are currently being
missed in firearm injury focused interventions. The proposed study will use an existing data
repository (used in prior work) of individually linked records from healthcare and police data
between 2016 - 2022. We specifically aim to 1) develop and describe trauma networks of all
individuals (i.e., victims, witnesses per police data) present at a shooting event and/or all family
members of firearm injury victims/survivors per Medicaid data and 2) examine clinical utilization,
firearm injury, and mortality outcomes among CAYA network members, due to the high risk of
adverse health outcomes in the 5-years following firearm injury event. This study will
demonstrate defining trauma networks to identify CAYA exposed to firearm injury is feasible
(Aim 1) and estimate prevalence rates of mental health outcomes, firearm injury, and mortality
among network members (Aim 2) in order to identify future opportunities for interventions.
SIGNIFICANCE: Consistent with the NICHD strategic plan, our methodology, data
infrastructure, and composition of our research team ensures that our research will significantly
extend our understanding of the mechanisms and impacts of firearm injury events beyond the
individual directly involved to improve health across the lifespan. Regardless of the results, this
will lead to a R01 application addressing the health needs among CAYA within trauma networks
and inform interventions that may mitigate adverse and likely debilitating effects among CAYA
and will have implications for broader public health significance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10786691
- **Project number:** 1R21HD113985-01
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Lauren A Magee
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $236,660
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10786691

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10786691, Developing Trauma Networks of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults to Examine the "Ripple Effect" of Firearm Injuries (1R21HD113985-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10786691. Licensed CC0.

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