PA Bill Number: HB335
Title: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons.
Description: In inchoate crimes, further providing for prohibited offensive weapons. ...
Last Action: Removed from table
Last Action Date: May 1, 2024
Is mental health to blame for gun violence? :: 09/02/2015
On Wednesday, Aug. 26, a television reporter and cameraman were fatally shot while live on the air in Moneta, Virginia. The gunman, a former employee of the news station, later shot himself and died from his injuries. The gunman's mental health has been called into question since the shooting, as he had a troubling behavioral and employment history.
In fact, soon after the incident, GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump stood before the American people and commented on gun violence in the U.S.: "This isn't a gun problem. This is a mental problem." Just days later, a county deputy in Texas was shot "execution style" while pumping fuel in his squad car at a gas station. As of this writing, the shooter's motive has yet to be determined, but he's been known to have a troubling criminal history.
For those of us that can't fathom shooting a stranger, it's hard to think that killing individuals can be anything but a mental health issue. Who in their "right" mind would shoot people randomly or for any reason other than self-defense? Is mental health the blame for gun violence? I didn't know the answers and wanted to find out. What I discovered is that it's much more complex than I originally thought.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four American adults experience a mental health disorder in a given year. That's nearly 60 million people. Most people with mental illness are not violent. There are certain factors that may increase the risk of violence among those with mental illness, including the use of alcohol or illegal drugs, untreated psychosis, past history of violence, and/or being young and male. This describes thousands of people, however. The risk factors for a mass murder or any other murder caused by a firearm are shared by a lot of people who, thankfully, aren't going to carry out any horrendous acts. In fact, a study published in 2001 looked just at male adolescent mass murderers. Three-fourths of the individuals had no documented psychiatric history. Certain persons with mental illness undoubtedly commit violent acts. Reports argue that mental illness might even be underdiagnosed in people who commit random school shootings.
But mass murders are unusual. They are not our typical shooting-related events. There are approximately 88 gun-related deaths a day, bringing it to roughly 32,000 per year (and some reports, including from the Center for Disease Control, report even higher numbers). We cannot make judgements about all shootings based on those aberrant mass murder situations.
Mental illness plays a role in gun violence, but a small one. Approximately four percent of all U.S. crimes involve people with mental illness. Gun-related crimes involving people with mental illness are about the same percentage. The most commonly diagnosed psychiatric illnesses have no violence correlation whatsoever. And mental illness without substance abuse is barely a blip in gun violence statistics. Mental illness IS a strong risk factor for suicide, but not for homicide. Those with a psychiatric history are more likely to be the victims of violent crime (and even shot by police) rather than commit the acts themselves.
Not everything is known about what causes gun violence. But what research CAN point to is substance abuse, domestic violence, availability of firearms, suicidality, social networks (you are more likely to be shot by someone you know than by someone you don't know), economic stress, social class and racism/race tension. The biggest predictor of gun violence is having a history of violent behavior rather than having a mental illness.
But I can't leave out the proliferation of guns in our country. The U.S. tops the list (among 178 other countries) with the number of privately owned guns. Other countries believe it's too dangerous for citizens to have a personal handgun for their own use or protection. They have strict legal access to guns; thus, lower homicide rates. Our country tries to keep the guns out of the hands of threatening people. That makes sense, but that is tough to predict. There's also a widespread belief among some individuals that more guns lead to less crime and deaths. Research has shown that to be false. More guns lead to higher firearm-related homicide rates. This is also a predictive factor in many of the suicides by guns each year.
I am not questioning our Second Amendment rights. My goal was to explore if there was a link between gun violence and psychiatric illness. Sometimes there is a connection, but that's not the predominant theme.
What I've learned through this journey is that what unites us on this issue is far more than what divides us. I don't know of anyone who DOESN'T believe we have a gun violence concern in the United States. We are all shocked and saddened to hear about gun-related deaths. We want change. We want to feel safe, and we want our loved ones safe. We also don't want to feel like our rights are being taken away. What we don't necessarily agree on is how to go about doing all of that. It's a complex, emotional matter with many layers that will take time to address. And the phrase commonly heard, "Guns don't kill people, people do" only isolates the real issues. It ignores the multitude of influences that play a part in this problem, and we lose the chance to make changes for our society based on the root causes of gun violence and injuries.
As a nurse, I've cared for multiple gunshot victims in my past and see this as a public health issue whose time is past due for addressing. The time is ripe, especially with an upcoming presidential election. The presidential candidates are having a hard time avoiding the issue given recent events. If you hear a candidate over the next year say they know THE answer to the problem, be leery. There's no one answer, and actions shouldn't be taken on opinions and emotions alone. We need evidence, and to demand our policy leaders use that evidence, so informed decisions can be made.
https://www.luther.edu/ideas-creations-blog/?story_id=642249
