Please stop blaming gun violence on mental illness

To The Daily Sun,

In the six days between July 29 and August 4, in three separate events, gunmen opened fire on innocent people killing 34, injuring 65, and destroying countless lives. In the 48 hours it took me to research for this letter, four less-advertised shootings occurred injuring 17, killing two. While writing this letter, in Brooklyn N.Y. four people were injured by a single gunman. By the time this goes to print it is estimated that at least 37 more will be injured or killed just for being in public.

Once again we immediately searched for a reason. What could make a person commit such a heinous act? As often happens American mass shootings (defined as four or more people shot at one event), the discussion turns immediately to mental illness. It comes from the president, from multiple lawmakers and lobbying groups. But there ís a big problem with blaming America's gun violence on mental illness, the evidence overwhelmingly doesn't support it.

Only 4 percent (source: MacArthur Research Center) of violence, not just gun violence, but any kind of violence in the United States is attributable to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression (the three most-cited mental illnesses in conjunction with violence). In other words, 96 percent of all the violence in America has nothing to do with mental illness.

Additionally, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, fewer than 5 percent of the 120,000 gun-related killings in the U.S. (2001-2010) were carried out by individuals diagnosed with mental illness.

Blaming mental health problems for American gun violence gives the false impression that people with mental illness are dangerous, when in fact the opposite is true and a vast majority will never commit violence. Even if one person with a mental illness commits a mass shooting, that person is not representative of others with mental illness. All kinds of people have committed mass shootings, yet we single out "mental illness." After all it's easy to associate those with mental illness with doing irrational things, and it's easy to extrapolate that to killing others. But there is NO DATA to back it up.

If lawmakers need to blame gun violence on mental health, why are those same lawmakers not supporting health care for all Americans that includes mental health and prescription drugs? Why not support a working minimum wage, or public education for all that includes grades K-12+4? For these are well-documented as underlying components that are tied to poverty, personal feelings of inadequacy, stress, and hopelessness that are frequently the foundation for antisocial disorders that can predispose to violent behavior.

There is no one factor that leads to lethal violence. Focusing on mental health discounts the impact family, friends, and local communities have on gun violence. Substance abuse, poverty, a history of violence, and access to guns are much better predictors of violence than mental illness (source: American Journal of Public Health). Mental illness can lead to suicide, but seldom leads to homicide.

Would more restrictive gun laws prevent mass shootings? Maybe, maybe not. That is a topic for another letter on another day. But a wealth of research demonstrates the flaws in blaming mental illness. So strike that one off the list and let's recognize the real causes and find real solutions.

Quinn Golden

Alton