Michael David Anestis (born November 18, 1979) is an American clinical psychologist and associate professor in the Department of Urban-Global Public Health in the

Rutgers School of Public Health The Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH) is part of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Prior to July 1, 2013, it was affiliated with the now-defunct University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey The University of Medicine and Dentistr ...

, as well as the executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. Before joining the faculty of Rutgers in 2020, he taught at the

University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...

, where he first joined the faculty in 2012.

Education

Anestis received his B.A. from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 2002 and his M.A. and Ph.D. from

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...

in 2007 and 2011, respectively. His Ph.D. thesis was entitled ''Affective and behavioral dysregulation: An analysis of individual difference variables in the acquired capability for suicide.''

Research

Anestis' research pertains to multiple topics in the field of clinical psychology, including

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

and emotional dysregulation in people with psychiatric disorders, as well as suicide more generally. For example, he has published studies questioning the effectiveness of

equine-assisted therapy Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) encompasses a range of treatments that involve activities with horses and other equines to promote human physical and mental health. The use of EAT has roots in antiquity, and EAT applies to physical health issues i ...

. He has also researched various issues related to

suicide prevention Suicide prevention is a collection of efforts to reduce the risk of suicide. Suicide is often preventable, and the efforts to prevent it may occur at the individual, relationship, community, and society level. Suicide is a serious public health ...

, including the relationship between

gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with on ...

laws and suicide rates. For example, in a 2015 study, he found that laws prohibiting open carrying of guns in

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

reduced suicide rates in the year after each was passed. In 2017, he led another study showing that suicide rates declined in states with universal background check and waiting period laws compared to states without such laws. He has also co-authored research showing that military personnel who have undergone basic training have more suicide capability than those who have not, in line with his belief that impulsivity and capability are both important to the risk of suicide. In January 2018, his book ''Guns and Suicide: An American Epidemic'' was published by

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

Personal life

Anestis is married to Joye Anestis, an associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy at Rutgers. They have a son and a daughter.

References

External links

Faculty page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Anestis, Michael David 1979 births Living people University of Southern Mississippi faculty Suicidologists Yale College alumni Florida State University alumni American clinical psychologists