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OP-ED: COUNSEL'S CORNERReduce Loughner’s Impact: Dispelling the Myths of Violence and Mental IllnessBy Annie Hsia, Program Manager Because of the recent tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, there is a national conversation about the root cause or causes for the shooting. What are people saying? Are they bemoaning the politicization of the nation? Or are they shaking their heads because yet another “crazy lunatic” got hold of a gun and injured so many innocents? It is part of the mission of People With Disabilities Foundation (PWDF) to remove stereotype and stigma through education and public awareness. As journalists report more details about the Tucson, Arizona, shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, our media-crazed nation focuses, at least for this news cycle, on the stark realities of the United States’ mental health system, even though Loughner was never formally diagnosed with mental illness. As with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), PWDF would caution a gut-reaction association of mental illness with violent behavior. Certainly, there should be concern if this type of violence – allegedly stemming from untreated and undiagnosed schizophrenia – could have been prevented; however, statistics show that most people with mental illness are not dangerous.[1] They are more likely to harm themselves than others; when they do commit acts of violence against others, the victims are more likely their close associates (family members and spouses) than random strangers.[2] They are also more likely to be victims of crime than the general public. [3]Recently, a couple of our clients who had appointments with the United States Department of Justice were told that their appointments would be postponed. The Assistant U.S. attorney bluntly stated that, “in light of recent events,” he did not feel comfortable meeting with our clients until a time when he can secure a room in a federal building where our clients must first pass through metal-detector screening. This is despite having previously met our clients on numerous occasions without any incident; he further made it clear that his attitude is based on knowledge of our clients’ mental health history. This kind of instant rejection is patently discriminatory, and we urge you to join PWDF in our fight against the unfair stigmatization of this vulnerable population. It is a common myth that people with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders are dangerous and violent. A recent study does show a slight increased risk of committing violent crimes against others for those with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders as compared to the general population, but the risk is much greater if there is co-occurring substance abuse, which would also hold true for the general population - that is, people without psychotic disorders.[4] The myth likely stems from over-publicized stories such as that of Loughner. Moreover, people with severe mental illness constitute a small fraction of the population; any increased risk of violent crimes committed by them, then, still account for less than 5% of society’s total number of violent crimes.[5]Generally speaking, it is the job of the community mental health service providers to ensure adequate treatment and services are received by people with mental health issues. People with mental illness are generally economically disadvantaged as well, which means that they use local mental health providers who rely on funds from the government; unfortunately, because of severe budget shortfalls due to current fiscal woes, states and local governments are slashing those funds. It is therefore incumbent on the community service provider, who are strained more than ever from the aforementioned cuts, to assess the risk of violence and then to offer adequate and appropriate treatment in order to minimize the risk of violence for people with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia.[6] Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, many people, even those who are well-educated and apprised of the evidence, continue to fear people with mental and/or developmental disabilities. This is why public awareness campaigns are not enough. Once someone has met a person with mental and/or developmental disabilities, however, the fear diminishes greatly.[7] Therefore, while PWDF continues to strive for greater public awareness of the type of stigma faced by people with mental and/or developmental impairments through education via public media, we encourage everyone to go out and meet individuals affected by mental and/or developmental disabilities. In any given year, over a quarter of the population can be diagnosed with a mental disability.[8] That translates to about one out of every four people who is affected, and that could mean you, your family, your friends, your co-workers. Isn’t it time that you gained a real understanding instead of succumbing, as SSA’s attorney did, to media-generated myths?."PWDF's Public Awareness and Education Program is focused on shedding light and reducing the stigma associated with mental illness by educating the community about the effects, treatment, abilities and limitations people with psychiatric or developmental disabilities often experience in their day-to-day life, as well as providing information about resources available to the individuals affected with psychiatric impaiments and their friend and/or families. 1 Elbogen, Eric, Swanson, Jeffrey, and Swartz, Marvin. “Violence Risk Management and Adherence to Treatment with Atypical Antipsychotics in Schizophrenia.” Behavioral Health Management 24.6 (Nov/Dec 2004): S1-S4. 2 Taylor, Pamela. “Psychosis and Violence: Stories, Fears, and Reality.” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 53.10 (Oct 2008): 647-659. 3 Fitzgerald, Paul, de Castella, A.R., Filia, K.M., Filia, S.L., Benitez, J., and Kulkarni, J. “Victimization of patients with schizophrenia and related disorders.” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 39 (Mar 2005): 169-174. 4 Fazel, Seena, Gulati, Gautam, Linsell, Louise, Geddes, John, and Grann, Martin. “Schizophrenia and Violence: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” PLoS Medicine 6.8 (Aug 2009): 1-15; see also Alia-Klein, Nelly, O’Rourke, Thomas, Goldstein, Rita, and Malaspina, Dolores. “Insight into Illness and Adherence to Psychotic Medications Are Separately Associated with Violence Severity in a Forensic Sample.” Aggressive Behavior 33.1 (Jan/Feb 2007): 86-96. 5 See, e.g., Levey, Susan and Howells, Kevin. “Accounting for the Fear of Schizophrenia.” Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology 4.5 (Dec 1994): 313-328; Taylor, “Psychosis and Violence: Stories, Fears, and Reality.” 6 See, e.g., Flannery, Jr., Raymond, Penk, Walter, Irvin, Elizabeth, and Gallagher, Charles. “Characteristics of Violent Versus Nonviolent Patients with Schizophrenia.” Psychiatric Quarterly 69.2 (Summer 1998): 83-93; Elbogen et al., “Violence Risk Management and Adherence to Treatment with Atypical Antipsychotics in Schizophrenia.” 7 Levey and Howells, “Accounting for the Fear of Schizophrenia.” 8 United States. National Institute of Mental Health. The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America. Washington: NIMH. 31 Jan 2011. Web. 31 Jan 2011. PWDF ProfileWho We ArePeople With Disabilities Foundation is an operating 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California, which focuses on the rights of the mentally and developmentally disabled. ServicesAdvocacy: PWDF advocates for Social Security claimant's disability benefits in eight Bay Area counties. We also provide services in disability rights, on issues regarding returning to work, and in ADA consultations, including areas of employment, health care, and education, among others. There is representation before all levels of federal court and Administrative Law Judges. No one is declined due to their inability to pay, and we offer a sliding scale for attorney's fees. Education/Public Awareness: To help eliminate the stigma against people with mental disabilities in society, PWDF's educational program organizes workshops and public seminars, provides guest speakers with backgrounds in mental health, and produces educational materials such as videos. Continuing Education Provider: State Bar of California MCLE, California Board of Behavioral Sciences Continuing Education, and Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. |
Volume 10
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Our Mission is to provide education and advocacy for people with psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities, with or without physical disabilities, so that they can achieve equal opportunities in all aspects of life. | |
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