Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention
Dr. David Chen’s research focuses on firearm violence prevention and intervention, and the impact of community
violence exposures on health. His research emphasizes both physical injuries and trauma, mental health consequences,
and other social implications of firearm violence in affected communities.
The Challenge
Firearm violence is a major public health problem in the United States, injuring more than 68,000 individuals and
killing over 20,000 individuals annually. Firearm homicides are the leading cause of death for persons 1-19 years of age. In addition, males are more likely to be victims of firearm homicides than females. In 2022, the firearm homicide rate was 24 times higher among Black males ages 15-34 compared to same age white males.
The Approach
Chen’s research focuses on establishing reliable firearm violence estimates; developing and testing innovative interventions; engaging community members in all research phases to improve contextual understanding and practical application; and modeling community violence exposure and its effects on factors such as:
- mental and physical health,
- structural violence,
- employment and educational opportunities, and
- health-related quality of life in Wilmington, DE.
The Impact
Chen’s research has resulted in clinical, community, economic, and policy benefits through:
- Hospital-based firearm violence intervention programs that focus on individuals at the highest risk of victimization, incorporate intensive wraparound style social service programming and case management and improve screening and referrals.
- Community-based violence prevention and intervention through building awareness of risk factors associated with firearm violence, training physicians on firearm prevention and intervention strategies, and training Community Health Workers on firearm trauma exposure.
- Healthcare Data Analysis advancements for epidemiologic detection of violent injury and healthcare utilization.
Key Benefits
Launched Empowering Victims of Lived Violence (EVOLV), a hospital-based violence prevention program.
Improved methods for screening the impact of violence on health and increased access to treatment
Developed inter-institutional and organizational partnerships for referrals and care of victims of violence.
Reduced economic and social costs of acute or chronic disease associated with delay of health care.
Influenced congressional allocation of funds towards violence prevention and interventions in the City of Wilmington.
The Investigator
Dr. Chen is a hospitalist at Christiana Care (CC) and a physician scientist with the CC’s Institute for Research on Equity an d Community Health. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University and an MD and MPH from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey; he completed his combined internal medicine-pediatrics residency program at Christiana Care, Jefferson Medical College, and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
Find Out More
David D. Chen MD MPH
Supported under NIH grant number U54-GM104941 (PI: Hicks)
Contact
David Chen, MD, MPH (dchen@christianacare.org)
