Last year, when President Obama initiated a national effort to prevent gun violence, APA offered assistance with the goal of ensuring that psychological research contributes to the national response to prevent violence. In January 2013, I had the opportunity to participate in an invitational meeting on gun violence at the White House. At that meeting, APA, along with other mental health groups, asked the president to make it a national priority to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and the perception that violence and mental illness are linked. APA also urged President Obama to ensure that every child and adult who needs mental health care receives it without barriers or limitations.
Since early 2013, APA has been actively involved in many initiatives to prevent gun violence. In May, APA partnered with the American Bar Association to present a comprehensive conference that focused on family and community violence prevention. We convened a panel of experts on gun violence and released a report that identified the most promising approaches to reduce this problem. APA also appointed a task force to create a resolution on gun violence prevention. The APA Council of Representatives adopted the Resolution on Firearm Violence Research and Prevention in February, which now guides our efforts. APA's Government Relations Offices (Education, Practice, Public Interest, and Science) have been working to educate and inform members of Congress and the administration on policies that reduce violence and strengthen our mental health system.
Today, the national dialogue on mental illness and gun violence continues based on reports of mental health problems among some mass violence perpetrators. The shocking nature of mass shootings provokes intense media attention. Unfortunately, the conversation in the media has focused in large measure on keeping guns out of the hands of what some have called the "dangerous mentally ill."
Some policymakers have promoted mental health system reform as a panacea for violence. Yet the vast majority of violent acts are not committed by people who are diagnosed with, or in treatment for, mental illness. The attention to mass shootings perpetuates the stigma attached to mental illness and may create a disincentive to seeking treatment. The focus on mass shootings contrasts with much less extensive coverage of other types of more prevalent community violence. Moreover, the focus on mental illness ignores the fact that most gun violence is committed by people in crisis, who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or in the context of domestic violence or other illegal activities.
Given that most people with mental illness do not harm or threaten others, continuing to frame the conversation about gun violence solely in the context of mental illness does a disservice both to the victims of violence and those who suffer from mental illness. More important, it does not direct us to appropriate solutions.
Our response to violence must be based on evidence. APA and other associations are working to reframe the conversation about mental illness to recognize that most people with a mental disorder are not violent, but that our mental health system does need immediate reform to be more accessible and effective. One way APA is trying to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness is via our contribution to Microsoft's Skype in the Classroom project, which is designed to bring quality mental health information directly to elementary and secondary school students. APA also co-sponsored the Speak Up for Kids campaign, an annual, national initiative focused on reducing stigma and increasing access to services for children.
APA continues to urge Congress and the Obama administration to advance mental health system reform and enact violence prevention policies. At the same time, we must embrace opportunities for research and promising approaches to violence prevention, including suicide prevention, school-based mental health services, substance and alcohol abuse treatment, and trauma-informed care for victims of violence. Psychology comprises an essential component of the multidisciplinary approach needed to lead us to effective violence prevention strategies.
Read the APA Resolution on Firearm Violence Research and Prevention.
