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WHITFIELD, Miss.--Gun violence incidents like Sandy Hook and the Colorado theater shooting and even the 1997 Pearl, Miss. school shooting, that may have involved mentally ill people, are drawing national attention over and over to gun violence and how it relates to mental illness. Dr. Justin Michener, a clinical psychologist with Miss. State Hospital, told News Mississippi the stigma associated with mental illness may be as dangerous as the few who become violent.
"The media often portrays it as people with mental illness are people who need to be feared," he said. "That's a problem because it does two things: It makes it less likely that these indiviuals are going to go and seek treatment, but it also tends to worsen symptoms. As soon as you feel that you are somehow alienated from society, these are inidiviuals who are already vulnerable emotionally. They're likely to detatch themselves more, become more isolated socially and all of these things are going to worsen their problem."
Michener said the problems are complicated. He described conditions that may move people to violence.
"There are certain symptoms, particularlar in people with psychotic symptoms, that could be related to violence. Command halucinations-when people hear voices telling them to harm themselves or others. People sometimes have persecutory delusions when they think people are out to get them. When you combine some of these symptoms with impulsivity, or emotional distress, then some people can be dangerous."
He pointed out that it's a very small population of people with mental illness that become violent and that mentally ill people are more likely to become victims of violent crime.
He said there are other factors that have a higher influence on whether or not people become violent.
"Being male versus female is actually related to a higher increase in violence than having a mental illness. Being younger in age, especially if you've had some involvement with the juvenile justice system."
He said a history of violence is a more predictive factor than the rest.
Michener also said substance abuse is associated with violent incidents.
"To me the entire issue comes down to stigma. It has plagued the mental health field and mentally ill people for a long while. The perception seems to be that if you have a mental illness you are constitutionally weak in some way. It doesn't have the same perception as a medical illness where people are more likely to admit they have a problem and seek treatment."
Michener said access to health care for mentally ill people is important because people who get treatment are statistically less likely to go through with violent acts. He said, though, that increasing access is a step, but not the whole answer.
"The media often portrays it as people with mental illness are people who need to be feared," he said. "That's a problem because it does two things: It makes it less likely that these indiviuals are going to go and seek treatment, but it also tends to worsen symptoms. As soon as you feel that you are somehow alienated from society, these are inidiviuals who are already vulnerable emotionally. They're likely to detatch themselves more, become more isolated socially and all of these things are going to worsen their problem."
Michener said the problems are complicated. He described conditions that may move people to violence.
"There are certain symptoms, particularlar in people with psychotic symptoms, that could be related to violence. Command halucinations-when people hear voices telling them to harm themselves or others. People sometimes have persecutory delusions when they think people are out to get them. When you combine some of these symptoms with impulsivity, or emotional distress, then some people can be dangerous."
He pointed out that it's a very small population of people with mental illness that become violent and that mentally ill people are more likely to become victims of violent crime.
He said there are other factors that have a higher influence on whether or not people become violent.
"Being male versus female is actually related to a higher increase in violence than having a mental illness. Being younger in age, especially if you've had some involvement with the juvenile justice system."
He said a history of violence is a more predictive factor than the rest.
Michener also said substance abuse is associated with violent incidents.
"To me the entire issue comes down to stigma. It has plagued the mental health field and mentally ill people for a long while. The perception seems to be that if you have a mental illness you are constitutionally weak in some way. It doesn't have the same perception as a medical illness where people are more likely to admit they have a problem and seek treatment."
Michener said access to health care for mentally ill people is important because people who get treatment are statistically less likely to go through with violent acts. He said, though, that increasing access is a step, but not the whole answer.
