Mike Anestis, PhD
@mikeanestis.bsky.social
Executive Director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center Professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health Author of Guns and Suicide: An American Epidemic Diehard Pittsburgh sports fan
My new book, The Toll It Takes: How Gun Violence Makes America Sick, is officially available for preorder! You can now preorder the book directly from Princeton University Press here: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... Looking forward to sharing it with you!
🔎 New GVRC Research This new study examines the relationship between anticipatory stress about police violence and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among Black adults in the U.S. PI: Kimberley Burke GVRC Co-PIs: Mike Anestis, PhD Allie Bond, PhD & Dan Semenza 🔗https://bit.ly/4sLy4lC
🎉 Congratulations to GVRC doctoral student Brielle Savage for receiving funding from the Black & Brown Collective! Her project, "Justice Amid Loss," examines justice and healing among Black homicide survivors. Listen to Brielle discuss her research on this important topic. 👏 Great job, Brielle!
While research has shown that states with the loosest gun laws and highest rates of gun ownership have the highest rates of gun deaths, high-profile incidents like the tragedy in Bend still happen all over the country. Read more: thetr.ac/TKWOR
🚨 Take a moment to read our FY26 GVRC Progress Report 📝. It highlights our published research 📊, projects, partnerships, training, events, and initiatives that have shaped our work and advanced firearm violence prevention over the past year. To learn more: ➡️ bit.ly/3VQSkpk #GunViolenceResearch
What a day! 📸 From inspiring keynote speakers to engaging breakout sessions and meaningful collaborations, the 2026 GVRC Summit brought us together to advance firearm violence research and prevention. #Rutgers #NJGVRC #GunViolencePrevention
NJ came together today for the annual Suicide Prevention Conference to advance suicide prevention & mental health. Thank you to @mikiesherrill.bsky.social and keynote speakers Dr. John Torous, Dr. Sarika Agarwal & @mikeanestis.bsky.social for sharing expertise & helping reduce stigma and build hope.
Last year’s Firearm Suicide Prevention Fellowship Training brought together emerging researchers to learn, connect & collaborate. As we prepare for this year’s training, revisit where those connections began—and how they continue today. 🔗 https://ow.ly/7qVi50ZFjWb
Firearm Suicide Prevention Day, Tuesday, September 8, is a time to draw attention to the role of firearms in America’s growing suicide crisis. Firearm suicides reached an all-time high in 2025. Securely storing guns is key to saving lives. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4xDfcXl
Brady Recognizes Annual Firearm Suicide Prevention Day on September…
On average, 74 people die by firearm suicide every day, more than are killed in firearm homicides and unintentional shootings combined.
bradyunited.org
Among US women, 41.1% reported that personally owning a gun would make them safer, but only 21.3% reported they would feel safer if more people were allowed to legally carry guns. ja.ma/4wF2w1Y
Congratulations to Dr. Thomas Joiner recognized for the Florence Halpern Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Clinical Psychology. His groundbreaking research on suicide prevention has shaped the understanding, treatment, and prevention of suicidal behavior worldwide.
🧵 1/ Some facts and figures on suicide from the latest report out of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions #suicideprevention
Trump cut over $1 billion in grants for gun violence prevention, research, and other public safety programs. Researchers are looking to states and private funders to help insulate the field from federal volatility. But will it be enough to sustain work that was already underfunded?
After Trump's Cuts, Who's Going to Fund Gun Violence Prevention?
Congress is taking steps to stabilize research dollars, researchers are turning to private funders, and states are emerging as a critical backstop. But is it enough?
thetrace.org
I’ve been a diehard Pirates fan my entire life. Even with their constant failures, I’ve always thought they might be good again at some point. I’m now convinced they’ll be losers until they move to another city and abandon the fans they’ve tortured for generations. Nutting will make billions.
1/3 Excited to share a paper 5 years in the making, now out in @pnas.org. We asked how does past exposure to violence shape the way people think in social situations, and how does that thinking drive future involvement in violence? w/ @sendhil.bsky.social
Surviving a gunshot wound, losing a loved one to a shooting, or simply witnessing gun violence can leave people with chronic pain long after the event, according to a new study by Rutgers University. Read more: thetr.ac/tGHlu
“Ghost guns are not just a law enforcement problem, they are a public health problem... [They] can be acquired without background checks or waiting periods... which makes them particularly consequential for individuals seeking means for self-harm.”
Ghost Guns Are Linked to an Increase in Suicide Rates
People who attempt suicide, nine out of 10 times, will survive — if they don’t use a gun. But suicide attempts with a firearm are almost always fatal: nine in 10 attempts end in death. For years,…
thetrace.org
Congress is taking steps to stabilize research dollars, researchers are turning to private funders, and states are emerging as a critical backstop. But is it enough?
After Trump's Cuts, Who's Going to Fund Gun Violence Prevention?
Congress is taking steps to stabilize research dollars, researchers are turning to private funders, and states are emerging as a critical backstop. But is it enough?
thetrace.org
www.thetrace.org/2026/02/gun-... The Trace explains the impact of the federal government denying funds to gun violence prevention science and the various efforts being made to push back.
After Trump's Cuts, Who's Going to Fund Gun Violence Prevention?
Congress is taking steps to stabilize research dollars, researchers are turning to private funders, and states are emerging as a critical backstop. But is it enough?
thetrace.org
For a new analysis, The Trace catalogued how many grants related to gun violence prevention were canceled or redirected during Trump’s first year in office.
Trump Has Slashed Federal Funding for Gun Violence Prevention. But How Much Exactly?
For a new analysis, The Trace catalogued how many grants were canceled or redirected during Trump’s first year in office.
thetrace.org
Means safety is by far our most powerful suicide prevention tool and this is a great example.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · 10mo agoFor decades, there had been an average of 30 suicides at the The Golden Gate Bridge each year. With a new miles-long series of stainless-steel nets now strung on both sides of the bridge, there were none in the second half of 2025.
For decades, there had been an average of 30 suicides at the The Golden Gate Bridge each year. With a new miles-long series of stainless-steel nets now strung on both sides of the bridge, there were none in the second half of 2025.
Suicides Were Frequent at the Golden Gate Bridge. Not Anymore.
For decades, there had been an average of 30 each year. With a new deterrent in place, there were none in the second half of 2025.
nyti.ms
Another great piece by the Trace. Cathy’s work is so important!
The Trace@thetrace.org · 10mo agoSafeguarding is the process of temporarily taking control of someone’s guns because they’re at risk of suicide or harming someone else, without involving the justice system. The practice is somewhat analogous to laws that allow people to temporarily ban themselves from buying guns.
Important work here from the NYT. Ross wasn’t run over. He dropped his cell phone, which he had shifted to his left hand to draw his weapon. And then he shot and killed a person with the gun in his right hand. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/v...
Video Analysis of ICE Shooting Sheds Light on Contested Moments
nytimes.com
🚨Call your lawmakers by THURSDAY! Lawmakers are negotiating the final FY26 funding levels for the CDC Injury Center right now! Injuries are the leading cause of death under age 45. Don’t let this key public health infrastructure be destroyed. www.safestates.org/page/Advocac...
safestates.org
The US government is trying to diversity their methods for killing the residents of this country. I’ve heard from several people about clinics + programs that will immediately shut down, leaving their communities w/o appropriate mental healthcare resources. There’s no rationale for supporting this.
Trump administration sends letter wiping out addiction, mental health grants
The Trump administration sent hundreds of letters Tuesday terminating federal grants supporting mental health and drug addiction services. The cuts could total as much as $2 billion.
npr.org
I’m starting to think the Steelers “let’s just never have an offense” strategy might not be our path to the promised land.
Standing with Minneapolis today. We lived very close to where the tragedy unfolded today and we cherished that diverse welcoming community. These are distressing and shameful times and I’m so tired of seeing the various chapters of our lives touched by hatred and violence.
