Whenever there is a mass shooting, it seems to be followed by people demanding better access to mental health services. While many Americans need improved access to mental health support, it is important that we don’t conflate violence with mental illness. At Carolina Dunes Behavioral Health in Leland, North Carolina, we treat people with a wide range of mental health disorders, and we want to address myths about mental illness that can be stigmatizing.
Mental Illness and Violence Statistics
Sometimes people with mental illnesses become violent, particularly when they are experiencing psychosis. However, this violence often comes from a place of fear, whereas mass shootings often come from a place of hatred. Hate is not a mental illness, nor is it a symptom you would ever find listed for any mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. When it comes to violence and mental illness:
- Only around 3-5 percent of violent acts can be attributed to people with serious mental health disorders.
- People who are seriously mentally ill are actually far more likely to become victims of violence than they are to perpetuate violence against others.
- People who are mentally ill are over 10 times as likely as the general population to be victimized.
- In cases where a mentally ill person has engaged in violent acts, it is often in the early stages of their disorder, before their symptoms have been recognized and led to a diagnosis and treatment. This violence is not usually a mass shooting.
What Increases the Risk of Violence
A person being suicidal does not mean they are homicidal or vice versa; however, some of the things that forensic psychologists have linked to increased likelihood of a person perpetuating violence are similar to what would place them at risk for suicidal ideation:
- History of violent behavior
- Active substance misuse
- Experiencing multiple, unfortunate life circumstances that could lead them to make threats of violence:
- Losing a job
- Conflicts with peers/friends, family or intimate partner
- Physical injuries
- Sexual frustration
- Death of someone important to them
- Financial problems
- Feelings of rage, depression, insignificance, loneliness, or being trapped
- History of reckless behavior
- History of trauma and childhood adversity
- Access to firearms during the period of crisis
Ways to Increase Safety
The risk factors for suicidal ideation and homicidal ideation aren’t the only things that overlap. Psychologists also recommend similar interventions for both problems, which primarily focus on keeping people safe until the crisis passes and they are no longer tempted to take permanent steps to resolve a temporary problem. This can often be accomplished by:
- Taking all threats of violence seriously, even if the person seems to be joking and whether the threats are against themselves or others and regardless of what means the person uses to make statements of violent intent (statements, letters, social media posts, drawings, songs, etc.)
- Recognizing statements about getting revenge as a warning sign
- Refusing to ignore unhealthy fixations, which could be religious, political, or of some other nature
- Utilizing crisis intervention services, such as texting or calling 988, to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- Getting people to the hospital if they cannot be kept safe at home
- Limiting access to firearms until the person recovers:
- Having a friend or family member store guns
- Storing the gun at a gun range the person cannot access
- Ensuring parts of firearms and ammunition are all stored separately from each other
- Referring them for long-term treatment, if needed
People Most Likely to Notice Concerning Behaviors
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has noted that the following people are mostly likely to observe concerning behaviors that could signal a risk of mass violence:
- Classmates
- Intimate partners
- School staff
- Family members
- Friends
- Co-workers
- Other acquaintances
It is important to understand that getting people help is crucial, whether or not they are mentally ill, because mass violence is not highly correlated with having a mental health diagnosis.
At Carolina Dunes Behavioral Health, we are here to help people who are struggling with acute episodes of mental illness and to provide factual information that their support systems can utilize to help them recover. We also believe that it is important for the general population of our communities to have accurate information about mental illness so that they can avoid unfairly stigmatizing people who are already struggling with mental health disorders.
