Mental Illness Alone is Not a Risk for Gun Violence

While media coverage of gun violence often leaves us with the perception of close link between violence and mental illness, extensive research tells us that many other factors are associated with a greater risk of gun violence. Most people with mental illness are not violent, and most violent acts are committed by people without mental illness.


New research adds to the wealth of evidence that mental illness is not a risk for gun violence. Research published in June in Psychiatric Services in Advance  found that prior violence, substance abuse, and early trauma are more likely to contribute to future violence than mental illness. The study authors conclude that public safety will not be improved by policies “shaped by highly publicized but infrequent instances of gun violence toward strangers.”


A 2006 report from the Institute of Medicine concludes that "… the contribution of people with mental illnesses to overall rates of violence is small, and further, the magnitude of the relationship is greatly exaggerated in the minds of the general population."


People with mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence—people with serious mental illness are more than 10 times more likely to be

victims of violence than the general public.



And while mental illness is not a major risk factor for gun violence, mental illness is a significant risk factor for suicide.  Some 39,000 people die by suicide in the United States each year—more than 50 percent by firearm (56 percent of men and 31 percent of women), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Among the major risk factors for suicide are a prior suicide attempt, substance misuse, mood disorders (depression or bipolar disorder), and access to lethal means.  However, research has also identified key protective factors—factors that make it less likely that a person will attempt or die by suicide.  Protective factors include effective mental health care and connection to family, friends and community.


By Deborah Cohen, senior writer, American Psychiatric Association

Resilience: How Do We Get It?

So what is resilience? We all want it, and we want to teach
it to our children. But are there only a lucky few who inherit it?

Resilience is the ability to lead a healthy life, both
physically and mentally, despite living through horrific circumstances, says
Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., chair of the Department of Psychiatry at
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. While there’s a genetic component, he
said the thinking is changing around the idea that only some people are born
with the ability to stay mentally strong in the face of war, natural disaster,
rape, terrorism, chronic poverty and other traumas.

“Humans are far more resilient in general
than we think, than we have assumed in the past,” Levounis said. “People who
have been subjected to absolutely traumatic situations very frequently come out
on other side and do quite well.”

There are some who may suffer more
after a traumatic event -- people with depression or anxiety disorders are at a
higher risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). But PTSD is not
the opposite of resilience, Levounis explained. “PTSD doesn’t mean you are
weak. We now know that developing PTSD is associated with compassion and
imagination and creativity.”

“Staying healthy both physically and
mentally is paramount. Not only exercise and nutrition, which pretty much
everybody knows, but also sleep hygiene. Sleep is the neglected stepchild of
physical health. Keeping your mental health intact, your social life, your
sexual life, your intellectual life, and for some your spiritual life—these
build resilience,” Levounis said.

He added that parents who impart
those healthy lifestyle habits to their kids will be helping their children be
resilient, too.

By Mary Brophy Marcus, health
writer, APA

Even Young Children can Experience PTSD

When you think of PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder), soldiers
returning from combat may come to mind. 
But years of research suggest many others experience PTSD, too, even
young children, though their symptoms may differ from those of older children, adolescents and
adults.

PTSD
in adults and children can occur after exposure to a traumatic event — living
through one, witnessing one in person, or learning about a traumatic event that
involved a family member. A traumatic event can include a violent experience in
the home or community, a fire, a natural disaster, a car accident, or the sudden
death of a family member. The younger a child is, the greater the impact. The loss
of a parent or being removed from a parent, for example, feels like a threat to
a child, according to child psychiatrist Judith Cohen, M.D., medical director
of the Center for Traumatic Stress in Children & Adolescents at Allegheny General Hospital in
Pittsburgh.

Many
children experience trauma — an estimated 14 to 43 percent, according to the
National Center for PTSD. Of those, as many as 15 percent of girls and 6
percent of boys develop PTSD. Children with PTSD may experience distressful thoughts, ­and memories of the trauma may occur without warning. They may also have trouble
sleeping and nightmares (though they may not seem clearly tied to the event). Traumatized
children may try to avoid people or objects that are reminders of the event and
they may act more irritable, have angry outbursts, or be easily startled.
They may regress, wet the bed or talk baby-talk, and they may experience physical symptoms,
such as headaches and stomachaches. The symptoms can cause major distress and
can impact how a child behaves or relates to family members.

To help a child heal from PTSD, treatment involves working with
the child and parents and caregivers, creating a feeling of safety, helping the
child to understand the condition, and encouraging the youngster to talk about his
or her feelings (through art and play), to help develop
relaxation and coping skills. Rehabilitation begins with building trust and it needs
to be fun and engaging for young children, according to Dr. Cohen. Several different types of treatment are
available for children with symptoms of PTSD and early intervention can be
important in helping little ones cope with and heal from the effects of trauma.

For more information on understanding and helping children of all
ages heal from traumatic events visit the National
Child Traumatic Stress Network.

By Debbie Cohen, health writer, APA