Firearms and mental health: A Balancing Act

Through my role as a mental health professional and researcher – mainly catering to rural people – I have come to an in-depth understanding of just how important holding a firearms licence can be. I have found multiple barriers to help-seeking, including knowledge, practical and shame-based barriers. Firearms licences and the fear of them being taken was a barrier that was raised many times. This is an absolute travesty. Often, people are suffering unnecessarily, with highly treatable conditions like depression or anxiety because of this issue.

There are important safety factors in using firearms, and the process for obtaining or renewing a licence has become more stringent since the Christchurch terrorist attacks.

As always, it is the intent of what a firearm is used for that remains the most ambiguous factor when considering a licensee and how they will use their firearms. Urban people tend to equate firearms with crime, whereas for rural people, they are an essential tool on the farm and beyond. Essential for quickly and humanely putting down sick stock, and for pest control.

There are significant and indisputable mental health benefits of owning a gun licence and hunting, which is an activity that can and does uphold, improve, and preserve good mental health for often isolated individuals who have few other options available to them in their leisure time that uphold all ‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’.

Connection: Hunting is often done in pairs or small groups. This means that the individuals involved are experiencing connection with others, and this is often where personal problems are shared and solved. It is a basic human need that humans need connection with others and to be heard and understood. This is often achieved during hunting with friends.

Physical movement: Covering often vast swathes of terrain, hunting naturally involves quite strenuous movement including walking, climbing, carrying, gutting, and lifting – physical activity has been proven to drastically improve mental health.

Connection with nature: Again, studies have proven that being in the outdoors, particularly natural wilderness, improves and preserves mental health as it reminds us that there is something much bigger than us and our problems – putting personal issues into context, while being able to experience the wonders of our natural world. Once again, this is a natural spin-off from hunting that is obtained by default.

Contact with the present moment: Hunting requires individuals to use their senses to focus on their surroundings – smells, sounds, sights, movement that can indicate animals. Once again, yet more research confirms that such contact with the present moment acts as a mental health buffer and provides outstanding results in improving outcomes.

Giving back: Keeping land free of pests such as possums, rabbits, hares, pigs and deer is something that our agricultural industry and conservation efforts rely on. Hunters can do this without pesticides and poisons, in a quick and humane manner. In another vein, hunting fresh, healthy and organic meats to feed a family or to donate to others is a way to experience the positive mental health benefits of altruism, again undisputed in the research.

Like with many issues, there is a lot of misinformation out there on firearms and mental health. It will take time to correct the often outdated ideas around this issue that may have surfaced during earlier times when mental health challenges faced scrutiny, discrimination, and a lack of understanding.

Firearms licence applicants with depression or mental health issues are not necessarily turned down – all applications are now considered on a case-by-case basis.

If you acknowledge your mental health struggles and show that they are being addressed through seeking professional help, and that your GP is happy that there is no threat, a medical certificate can be provided to you. You can then include this with your firearms application. You will not automatically be excluded.

The Firearms Safety Authority acknowledges that psychological suffering could well be completely valid in this difficult time of life pressures coming at us in every way, shape and form.

Providing information about this on your application does not mean you won’t get your licence. The Firearms Safety Authority would discuss this with you to understand how/that you are managing this – their website has current, accurate information on this matter. You are certainly not alone – one in five adults over 15 years of age have been diagnosed with a mood disorder in New Zealand, along with one in four young people. Letting this be a barrier to you seeking help for mental health issues is counterproductive really – you could potentially reach a point where you don’t even feel like getting out f
or a hunt – and that’s not going to help anybody.

Having a firearms licence is a responsibility, so do it right. I’d rather see you at your GP or in my office addressing mental health issues that are highly treatable than see you suffer in silence.

Kathryn Wright is a rural counsellor and a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. kathrynwright.co.nz