News & Discussion

Florida Shooting Op-Ed

Need to boldly face the causes of gun violence rather than scapegoating those with mental illness

By Robert Sheehan

The recent mass shooting in Florida is a tragedy, especially when preceded by the shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, only a few months ago. The continual, devastating tragedies call us to examine and take action on the real causes of gun violence in America, as these tragedies continue to arise. Together, we must bravely discuss the real actions needed to dramatically reduce gun-related violence in our country.  

To be clear, my call for such a clear-eyed examination is not an argument for or against gun control. That is a different topic for a different day.  In the wake of the Florida school shooting, I am calling, as are many others in the mental health and public safety arenas across the country, that we stop derailing this difficult but sorely needed examination by scapegoating, in the wake of tragic mass shootings, those with mental illness, while doing nothing to address this nation’s gun violence nor its mental health needs.

Attempts to connect every violent act to mental illness represent an inaccurate and simplistic analysis to a complex problem. Study after study has shown that persons with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. A comprehensive study of gun violence in America found that only 4% of American gun deaths are related to mental illness. The bulk of these are suicides and do not involved violence to others.¹

Additionally, if mental illness were truly the cause of gun violence, then other developed countries with comparable mental health spending, and mental health practitioners per capita would have similar levels of gun violence.  None of them do.  

While there are 33 gun deaths in the U.S. per year, per million people, there were only 5 per year, per million in Canada and 0.7 per million in Britain.²

Ironically, while repeatedly calling, after nearly every mass shooting, for the examination of a person’s mental stability as part of gun purchase, Congress passed and President Donald Trump recently signed a bill eliminating rules, which would limit gun access for those with mental illness. While these prohibitions are controversial, given the delicate balance between civil liberties and public safety, eliminating this rule instead of refining it was a missed opportunity and sadly ironic.

Equally ironic is the contrast of the call, in the wake of a mass shooting, for improved access, by all Americans, to mental health services, while those sounding that call are also working to cut Medicaid and Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA)-supported health insurance which are among the chief tools for ensuring such access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

I mourn the victims of this senseless violence in Florida, as we have mourned for the victims so many high-profile killings, and those that do not make the press, over the past several years.  I grieve for the families who have lost loved ones.

I, along with many across the country, want to ignite a conversation. A conversation around the real causes of gun violence and around the need to stop scapegoating those working so hard to live with and recover from mental illness.

Robert Sheehan is the chief executive officer of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan (formerly, the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards).

For connection to local behavioral health information, advocacy, and initiatives follow Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties on Facebook. www.facebook.com/ceicmh

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Sources:

¹Swanson, J. W., McGinty, E. E., Fazel, S., & Mays, V. M. (2015). Mental illness and reduction of gun violence and suicide: bringing epidemiologic research to policy. Annals of epidemiology, 25(5), 366-376.

²Zimring, F. E., & Hawkins, G. (1999). Crime is not the problem: Lethal violence in America. Oxford University Press.