Mental health services to prevent mass shootings? #tellusatoday
Opinion: Get serious about mental health care Now, with respect to Aaron Alexis and the Washington Navy Yard killings, the suspect indeed appeared to have mental health problems . He’d sought help from Veterans Affairs hospitals around the capital, law enforcement sources told CNN. And after an incident in Seattle in which he shot out the tires on the car of a man he thought had mocked him, his family told police that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his having been in New York City on September 11, 2001 (although work colleagues of his from back then don’t recall his volunteering in the aftermath of that attack). Guns and America’s mental health system Cutter: Gun increase breaks all logic Hagel: We’ll fix security gaps Remembering the victims Alexis had apparently asked for help from the VA for psychiatric problems but was not declared unfit by the Navy, which could have revoked his security clearance and perhaps prevented him from gaining ready access to the Navy Yard grounds. The question that needs to be addressed in the coming days and months is: Why do barriers to communication across agencies exist, and how can they be reduced or eliminated? These are not simple questions, but they are extremely important when it comes to prevention.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/opinion/landsberg-shootings-mental-health/index.html
Navy Yard Shooting Sparks Debate Over Congress’ Focus On Gun Control Vs. Mental Health Legislation (TELL US)
#tellusatoday 11:27 p.m. EDT September 18, 2013 A wreath is displayed at the U.S. Navy Memorial to honor of the Navy Yard shooting victims Tuesday in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Drew Angerer, Getty Images) SHARE 3 CONNECT 1 TWEET 1 COMMENTEMAILMORE We asked our followers on Twitter: In light of the recent Navy Yard shooting, should gun laws get tougher or mental health services better? Comments are edited for clarity and grammar: Neither.
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Study: Impact of unaddressed mental health issues on students is severe
The following day, president Obama called on Congress to revisit the issue , saying that lawmakers should take what he considers “basic actions” to toughen the nation’s gun laws. Expressing similar views, other prominent democrats weighed in : This is one more event to add to the litany of massacres that occur when a deranged person or grievance killer is able to obtain multiple weapons … and kill many people in a short amount of time,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in a statement. We are becoming far too familiar with senseless, tragic violence … and these repeated incidents demand our attention, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said.
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Yet it is not until middle school that mental and behavioral health problems are identified, according to educational records of children referred to the Center for Childrens Advocacy, a Connecticut nonprofit that provides legal support for abused and neglected children. All of the adolescents in the sample had evidence of significant behavioral and/or mental health problems and 51% had or were at-risk of court-involvement, juvenile justice intervention, or through court referral for families with service needs. Multiple school suspensions, aggressive incidents, and explosive or disruptive behavior were common (82%). Depression (25%), anxiety disorders (20%), post-traumatic stress disorders (17%), suicidal and self-injurious behaviors (16%) were evident as well, with 17% of students documented as having been hospitalized in psychiatric settings, some for multiple times or for extended periods.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/09/19/study-impact-of-unaddressed-mental-health-issues-on-students-is-severe/