Mental Health and Mass Murder (1)
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Mental Health and Mass Murder
How many mass shootings have happened in 2023? I decided to put this simple question
into the Google search engine which presented me with more than 10 articles, which all
explained that we had more than 300 mass shootings this year (Google, 2023). The articles that
cover the mass shootings that have happened over the years seem to all have one topic in
common, mental illness. I believe the media has given people the impression that all mass
shooters have a mental illness or that they are violent because they have a mental illness.
However, research has proven that people with mental illness are more likely to be a victim than
perpetrators. People who commit mass shootings and have a mental illness are relatively low.
There are many factors that contribute to people becoming mass murderers and committing such
violent behaviors. Although there may be a correlation between mental illness and mass
murderers, that does not mean that one causes the other.
As previously stated, the general population believes people with mental illness are more
prone to becoming mass shooters or committing violent acts. This can be proven by the countless
number of news articles that cover mass shootings and that include mental illness. An example of
an article that discusses the topic of mental illness is the article written by PBS NEWS HOUR
covering the Uvalde School Shooting. In fact, the title of the article was “Uvalde school shooter
left trail of warning signs ahead of attack” and goes on to address how the Uvalde shooter gave
off many warning signs about how he was obsessed with violence before his attack (Condon,
2022). There are other articles that speak about the same topic, which is that people who commit
violent acts, like mass shootings, are mentally ill. There is research that has proven otherwise,
that “people with mental illness account for a very small proportion of perpetrators of mass
shootings in the U.S.” (Columbia University Department of Psychiatry, 2022). A misconception
that the general population believes is people with a mental illness are more prone to becoming
mass murderers, but evidence has shown something entirely different. The article published by
the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry cites that mental illness is not the main factor
in most mass shootings and that 5% of mass shootings are related to severe mental illness (2022).
People are quick to blame mental illness as the cause of any violent behavior. The media plays a
key part in perpetuating the myths surrounding mental illness and violence.
Mental illness can cause distress, dysfunction, or danger to its victim. Society may
mistake danger as a danger to others, but it is in fact danger to themselves. Those with a mental
illness are 2.5 times more likely to be violently victimized than the general population (Daigle &
Muftic, 2019). Other articles state that people with a mental illness are 11 times more likely to be
a victim of violent crime than the general population and that most gun violence is committed by
people without a diagnosed mental illness (Beltzer et al., 2022).
It appears that evidence points
to the contrary concerning mental illness and perpetuating violence against others. This
misconception has caused there to be a stigma surrounding mental illness and receiving help.
I may be implying that mental illness has no place when it comes to the topic of violence,
but my point is that there are several other factors that contribute to violence. Dr. Jillian Peterson,
a psychologist, explains that the profile of people who commit mass shootings have early
childhood trauma (American Psychological Association). Childhood trauma can include physical
abuse, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and a few other things that can impact a child. When this
person grows up, they may begin to experience feelings of isolation, anger, shame, guilt, or
hopelessness. Feelings like these can cause them to form unhealthy obsessions to feel seen and
heard. Extremely violent websites or websites with extreme ideologies might potentially create a
sense of community for them (American Psychological Association). Combining feelings of
isolation, a violent community, and access to weapons could end in the possibility of a violent act
occurring. Reasons like these are why we must bring awareness to what causes people to become
vulnerable to violent behaviors. Educating the population on the misconceptions about mental
illness will allow people who experience them to seek help. It is never too late to acknowledge
what we must change as a society.
To put it concisely, mental illness and mass shootings do not correlate with one another.
One does not directly cause the other and we should not judge those with a mental illness. Our
population is severely uneducated on the topic of mass shootings and mental illness. Research
has established the fact that those with a mental illness are more likely to be the victim of a crime
and not the perpetrator. In addition, those who have committed a violent act are not diagnosed
with a mental illness. Lastly, there are other contributing factors to why people commit violent
acts, and having a mental illness is not the main factor. As mentioned, there may be a correlation
between mental illness and mass murderers, but that does not mean that one causes the other.
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References
Google. (n.d.). Google search. https://www.google.com/search?q=how%2Bmany%2Bmass
%2Bshootings%2Bhave%2Bthere%2Bbeen%2Bin
%2B2023&sca_esv=566125202&sxsrf=AM9HkKnQb7z3YLNRcl06Z7w0RCme0HJLIA
%3A1694985568883&ei=YG0HZdLDNdCcwbkP-52z8Ao&oq=how%2Bmany%2Bmass
%2Bshootings%2Bhave%2B
%2B2023&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiImhvdyBtYW55IG1hc3Mgc2hvb3RpbmdzIG
hhdmUgIDIwMjMqAggAMgYQABgHGB4yBhAAGAcYHjIGEAAYBxgeMgYQABgH
GB4yBhAAGAcYHjIGEAAYBxgeSOchUPQKWIEYcAF4AZABAJgBZ6AB9AaqAQM
0LjW4AQHIAQD4AQHCAgQQABhHwgIHECMYigUYJ8ICBRAAGIAEwgIKEAAYRx
jWBBiwA8ICChAAGIoFGLADGEPCAgcQIxiwAhgnwgIHEAAYDRiABOIDBBgAIEGI
BgGQBgo&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
Condon, B. (2022, July 19).
Uvalde school shooter left Trail of warning signs ahead of attack
.
PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/uvalde-school-shooter-left-trail-of-warning-
signs-ahead-of-attack
Columbia University Department of Psychiatry. (2022, June 6). Is there a link between mental
health and mass shootings? https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/mass-shootings-and-
mental-illness
Daigle, L. E., & Muftic, L. R. (2019). Victimology. Second Edition. Retrieved from
https://platform.virdocs.com/read/597020/21/#/4/2[s9781544344164.i1896]/18[s97815443
44164.i1923]/8[s9781544344164.i1930]/4,/3:293,/3:293
Beltzer, M. L., Moulder, R. G., Baker, C., Comer, K., & Teachman, B. A. (2022). Effects of mass
shootings on mental illness stigma in the United States.
Personality and Social Psychology
Bulletin
,
49
(8), 1231–1247. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672221097180
American Psychological Association. (n.d.).
How to stop mass shootings, with Jillian Peterson,
Phd
. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-
of-psychology/mass-shootings