Mental Health Information

for the APs new style guideline on mental illness

From the opinion page of the Hartford Guardian:
http://www.thehartfordguardian.com/2013/03/12/mental-illness-is-not-the-root-of-violence-sandy-hook-shooting/

<snip>


{T}he frequent media portrayals and commonplace claims of mental illness as a leading cause of violence are simply not accurate. Out of the hundreds of mental disorders, there are only a few that are reliably linked to violence. It is important though, that if there are violent acts committed by someone with one of these conditions, then any discussion should use the specific name of the condition, rather then using the blanket term of “mental illness.” Using a blanket term makes inaccurate associations between those few conditions that are reliably linked to
violence with those many that aren’t, transferring the effects of stigma.

Additionally, any use of specific terms should be grounded in an understanding of those terms. Suggestions that the perpetrator of the Sandy Hook incident had Asperger’s disorder, and that this was a causal factor in such violence, clearly demonstrate a lack of understanding, as violence is not inherent to Asperger’s.

While acts are committed which cause many to conclude the perpetrator ”wasn’t right in the head,” that doesn’t mean it was a mental illness that was the cause, or even that it was present. Mental illnesses are specifically defined constructs, and labeling something as “mental illness,” without a solid grasp of those constructs, distorts public perception. Perhaps at least partially as a result, the term “mental illness” appears linked to public perceptions of dangerousness, and must be addressed, as it has important social effects. It matters how these discussions are framed. Unfortunately, much of the talk presently going on in the wake of the Sandy Hook incident may further embed misperceptions of mental illness and violence into the collective conscious.

While calls for greater emphasis on mental healthcare are welcome and long overdue, couching those calls in the horror of that awful event stands a strong chance of deepening many of the problems facing good people who happen to be suffering from mental health problems, and those people seeking to help them.