Addressing the causes of gun violence and mental health
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People scratching their heads, asking why, why so much craziness in the world?
Maybe were just more aware of it now because of the 24-hour news cycle, but every day theres another public tragedy, another breach of trust, and another report of a mass shooting.
After only four months, we (in the U.S.) are already close to 12,000 gun-deaths for the year, with death-by-suicide accounting for most of them.
In an attempt to lessen the gun violence, some lawmakers are pushing to limit access to firearms by imposing stricter rules for the sale and ownership of guns; others oppose such action, claiming the real problem is mental illness.
Its hard to argue that someone who commits suicide, or shoots a gun in a classroom, a bank, a courtroom, a shopping mall, or a crowded street isnt suffering from some kind of mental disorder.
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Unfortunately, the data suggests that mental illness is on the rise.
Last year, one out of every five hospitalizations for children ages 3-17 was due to a mental health issue, prompting the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Childrens Hospital Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to all declare childrens mental health a national emergency.
Some health experts are quick to point to the pandemic, and how physical separation and imposed social restrictions contributed to feelings of loneliness and depression, but the rising incidence of mental illness started well before COVID.
From 2005-2017, the share of adolescents who experienced major depression within the last 12 months increased by 52 percent. In that same time, young adults (ages 18-25) experiencing serious psychological distress in the previous 30 days increased by 71 percent.
From 2009-2021, teens reporting persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness rose from 26 to 44%; an increase of 70 percent. According to the CDC, it is the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded.
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But its not just teens.
One in five adults in the U.S. now battle some form of mental illness, and one in 20 suffers serious disorders, including major depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and more.
The causes are wide-ranging, and include various biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Some of them, such as chronic pain, peer pressure, discrimination, bullying, finances, relationships, the death of a loved one, or genetics, have always been factors for our stress and sadness, and therefore, like COVID, do not adequately explain or account for the rise in mental illness, or why teens of the 2000s and 2010s are sadder than their counterparts of 20 years earlier.
Some say it has to do with technology; with how much time is spent looking at and locking into a screen, to the exclusion of other beneficial activities.
Some blame social media, or all media for that matter, for promoting untruthful and unhealthful depictions, comparisons and expectations that contribute to stress and anxiety.
Yet others are more inclined to implicate chemical factors, such as drugs or medications, toxins in the air, water and food, compounds in the cookware, the carpet and the containers.
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Whichever possible cause you care to point to, the question is what are you (what are we) going to do about it?
To our policymakers, I say you cant not be willing to address gun safety and then turn around and:
object to sending medics and social workers to respond, in place of armed cops, to calls that might involve mental and behavioral health issues, or
oppose a measure to remove brominated vegetable oil or Red dye No.3 from food products, or
favor tax credits for polluters while objecting to proposals that would benefit industries and technologies striving to reduce carbon emissions.
Thats like saying, yeah, I know all these people are dying and feeling stressed and depressed, but theres nothing we can do about it.
Claiming helplessness promotes hopelessness, which as an underlying cause, further contributes to both gun violence and mental illness.
Monday, April 24, 2023 at 1:30 am