It has been said that better mental health care will not affect gun violence, but overstating the effects of mental illness can hurt millions of people worldwide. Meanwhile, lets improve mental health care for its own sake and not only for the sake of safety.
Prisons are frequently places where there are mentally ill people who should really be hospitalized, so, if we do more to ensure that all people suffering from a mental illness receive treatment rather than be locked up, the mental health of a country will improve drastically. The majority of people suffering from a mental illness are no risk to public safety and overstating that risk will stigmatize millions of people worldwide.
Improve mental health care for its own sake and not only for the sake of safety.
It is essential to remember that mental illness is first and foremost a public health issue, not a public safety issue. If we continue to connect our discussions about the need for better mental health services too closely to the threat of violence, this may have negative, unintended consequences both for people who suffer from mental illness as well as for public safety.
Improve mental health services for its own sake and not only for the sake of safety.
The issue of mental illness and guns should be separated as we need to remember that mental illness is a public health issue and not one of safety. Tying them too closely to the threat of violence may have negative, unintended consequences both for people who are ill and public safety.
Improve menetal health services for its own sake and not only for the sake of safety.
