Don't Link Violence with Mental Illness

 Opposing view: Don't Link Violence With Mental Illness

Rather than forcing more people into treatment, dedicate adequate resources toward prevention

By Wayne Lindstrom  USA Today OP ED  January 11, 2013

 

Calls to make it easier to commit people for involuntary mental health treatment will do little or nothing to prevent violent acts. It will only scare people from seeking help voluntarily and fail to increase the number who are committed.

The premise that we can predict or prevent violent acts is unsupported. Even in the case of severe mental illnesses, mental health professionals possess no special knowledge or ability to predict future behavior.

The fact is people with mental health conditions are no more likely to be violent than is the general population. Continuing to link violence and mental illness only stigmatizes people and deters them from seeking care.

Paradoxically, making it easier to commit people to treatment will not lead to more commitments or more people getting care. A chronically underfunded mental health system, which has experienced $4.6 billion in state budget cuts since 2009, does not have the capacity to meet those needs.

When Illinois lowered its standard to allow the commitment of virtually every person with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, commitments decreased because of the continued reduction in public and private inpatient beds.

In Washington, a study of the state's lowered commitment standard revealed fewer voluntary admissions and a rapid increase in the revolving door of discharges and re-admissions. In fact, the number of people who meet existing commitment standards in every state already exceeds the beds available for them.

It is highly unlikely we will increase the number of psychiatric beds. Nor should we.

Rather than forcing more people into treatment, we should dedicate adequate resources toward prevention and early identification of emotional disturbances in children and fund cost-effective community-based interventions that work.

Just two-thirds of those with severe mental illness and one-third with moderate illness receive appropriate services. When care is provided, there is a gap of up to 10 years between their first symptoms and first treatment.

Expanding access to care under the Affordable Care Act and mental health parity law will serve people better than changing commitment laws that will change nothing.

 

Wayne Lindstrom is the CEO of Mental Health America.

 

MHA Marks National Crime Victims Rights Week

“Fairness. Dignity. Respect.” is the theme of this week's National Crime Victims Rights Week Conference offered by Mental Health America of Licking County.

Speakers include: internationally known speaker on human trafficking: Theresa Flores, and author of The Sacred Bath. Stephanie Smith Bowman from the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio will share information on victims’ with disabilities.

Melis Leonard, former MHA Director of Prevention, will talk about the connections between victimization and trauma and varied human responses. Community members of a Victim Impact Panel will share their experiences & answer questions regarding the victimization. Members will include families of Pamela Annarino and Tyler Gargus.

Representatives of the MHA Prevent Violence and Assault Education (PAVE) Teen Panel will speak on the experiences of youth crime victims.

The conference is free and open to the public with registration. Complimentary lunch is being provided by Bake-N-Brew.

Saturday, April 24, 2010, will be the “Peacemaker’s Showcase” featuring Prevent Assault and Violence Education (PAVE) a program of Mental Health America. There will be food, fun, music, guest speakers, Awards, a Candlelight Vigil, and a March for Peace.

Events start at 4 p.m., with a “Take Back the Night Rally” at 7 p.m. The Licking Co. Clothesline Project will be on display.

For more information about these events or to register, please call (740)522-2277 or email to prevention@mhalc.org

January is National Stalking Awareness Month

By Ashley Shaw, PAVE Coordinator, Mental Health America of Licking County

As a violence prevention educator, people often tell me stories about their experiences with violence and many of the stories involve the serious crime of stalking.

According to the Stalking Resource Center, stalking is defined as a course of action directed at a specific individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.

Television and movies promote commonly held beliefs about stalking which are inaccurate. For instance, many think that only strangers, often with a mental illness, are the ones who commit this serious crime, when almost the exact opposite is true. According to statistics from the Stalking Resource Center:

• 77% of female victims and 64% of male victims know their stalker.
• 59% of female victims and 30% of male victims are stalked by an intimate partner.
• Intimate partner stalkers frequently approach their targets, and their behaviors escalate quickly.

Through the impact stalking can have on a victim’s daily life, it is very clear to see why more people need to be made aware of them.

A victim of stalking is very likely to experience serious changes to his or her daily life.

• 26% of stalking victims lost time from work as a result of their victimization, and 7% never returned to work.
• 30% of female victims and 20% of male victims sought psychological counseling.
• The prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction, and severe depression is much higher among stalking victims than the general population.

Because of the prevalence, stalking is something that each of us needs to take seriously. The number of stalking victims in the United States is astounding: 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually. The good news is that there is help available to victims of such a serious crime.

A first line of defense when dealing with stalking is educating yourself about the topic and the legal aspects that can be involved. I urge all readers to familiarize themselves with the topic of stalking so that it can be recognized and prevented as much as possible. The state of Ohio has laws in place to protect victims and prosecute stalkers. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, charges can range from a first degree misdemeanor to a fourth degree felony. Jail or prison time varies as well depending on the specifics of any given case. If you or someone you know is being stalked, call 9-1-1 immediately to get law enforcement involved.

Through education and awareness, communities can support victims and combat the crime. There are plenty of resources available at Mental Health America of Licking County or on websites such as the Stalking Resource Network Website (www.ncvc.org/src).

The P.A.V.E program (Prevent Assault and Violence Education) is participating in a community awareness campaign by hanging up informational posters in area Licking County schools. We hope that through the poster campaign we can build a knowledgeable community that offers support to stalking victims and increases the prevention of potential victims.

For more information please contact Ashley Shaw at (740) 522-2277 or ashaw@mhalc.org.