I have spent quite some time today reading through various news reports concerning the shooting that occurred this morning at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. I want to understand. I find myself growing more and more frustrated, however, regarding the comments being focused primarily on the topic of gun control. While this is arguably an important, and necessary problem that needs addressing, I think that at this time it is inappropriate. In the short-term, I find that it would be far more beneficial to turn our attention to the importance of mental health awareness.
First and foremost, the counseling services provided to the students, parents, and community surrounding Sandy Hook will be crucial in offering emotional support in this extraordinarily difficult time. The psychological scars that have been left on all those who lived through the shooting will surely last forever.
Something slightly concerning to me, regarding the topic of mental health, is the way in which the shooter, Adam Lanza, is being discussed. A number of articles I have reviewed mention him as "seeming unwell," "something is not quite right," "always seemed a little off." These vague and condescending terms are causing a problem. They are taking mental illness and directly linking it to the violent acts that occurred today, and have occurred in the past. While it is likely that Lanza was suffering from some unidentified illness, this is an extreme case, and has the potential to be a detriment to the advocacy and awareness for mental health.
Stereotypes, prejudices, discrimination, and stigma are overwhelmingly apparent in our society concerning mental illness. Mental health awareness is an entirely underrepresented and misunderstood aspect of our culture. Stemming from poor representation of individuals with mental illness in the media, it is clear why some maintain an entirely inaccurate characteristics of those who suffer.
Common stereotypes of individuals with mental illness are that they are violent and unstable. In fact, most people with severe mental illnesses are not harmful to the public, especially if they undergo appropriate and effective treatment. Prejudices that may arise from this stereotype are an attitude of mistrust or fear. All mental illnesses described in the DSM-IV-TR (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision) fall on a spectrum of severity. Not a single person who suffers from a disorder experiences their illness in the same way that someone else does with the same diagnosis. The stigma attached to individuals with mental illness es may be that they are not safe to be around due to their volatile and unstable behavior. They are devalued by society, which causes discrimination leading to purposeful isolation based on these negative, and largely inaccurate, perceptions.
With this in mind, it becomes apparent that someone who may be suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness will be unlikely to seek help, given the fear of being stigmatized and the potential for further social isolation.
I appreciate the numerous comments I have seen regarding the desire to identify and treat people who suffer from mental illness. But it is not that easy. Many people suffer mental illnesses that go completely undiagnosed. Unfortunately, a few individuals, like Adam Lanza, who are discovered to be ill upon committing crimes become the name and face of mental illness in the media, ultimately leading to the common stereotypes and stigma associated with mental illness. These people, though, are a minority. 26.2% of the American population over 18 suffer from some form of mental illness (Statistic from the National Alliance on Mental Illness). That is an overwhelming number, and means that Lanza was 1 of approximately 57.7 million people with a mental illness. This is in no way meant to downplay the events that occurred today. I acknowledge the fact that it is extremely possible that Lanza's violent actions can be attributed to an illness. I think it is important that we differentiate this case from the millions of others and begin a movement to separate the stereotype of violent behavior from mental illness as a whole.
We, as a society, need to be proactive in promoting the truth about, and removing stigma associated with mental illness. That way, identifying those who need help might become easier, there will be no fear of negative social repercussions for seeking treatment, and the chances of reaching out to someone like Adam Lanza become greater.
http://www.nami.org/
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has some incredible resources that can be used to educate yourself. Stop stigma from occurring and encourage mental health awareness.
