More than "facts"

A recent article from the Associated Press did a major disservice to persons with mental illness. Assembling a packet of "facts" into a piece that was clearly designed as a scare tactic, the article basically villified people with mental illness as being uncontrolably violent.

It reminds me of something I heard a long time ago: "Even the Devil can quote the scriptures." The point, of course, is that anyone can string together various facts that are unrelated, create a false relationship, and force whatever point they are already convinced is true.

The truth is that people with mental illness are more often the VICTIMS of violence than they are the perpetrators, and that when variables are adjusted, violent acts against others are most often the result of drug and alcohol use/abuse....a fact that was conveniently left out of the AP piece.

The only thing the article does show (and, unfortunately, it was picked up by internet provider Yahoo and printed in local papers too) was how hungry society is for a scapegoat, and that, once again, those without a voice are the easiest target.

Thank you, Steve Lopez!

Once again Steve Lopez (Los Angeles Times) shows himself to be a friend of those with mental illness who are homeless and in need of an advocate. His article in the Sunday LA Times ("Using Tax Dollars to Turn Lives Around is Money Well Spent, March 15) is spot on...recognizing that sometimes it feels to taxpayers as if they are throwing money away on liberal-minded programs with nothing to show for them, when in reality the benefits to individuals and society far outweigh and outlast any of the expenses, and are actually less expensive than traditional "treatment" (ie, repeated incarceration, hospitalization, etc.).

In a few short weeks the voters of California will be asked whether they want to go along with an ill-conceived idea to balance the State budget that includes a redirection of much-needed mental health services funding (Proposition 1A). To do so would set a sad and dangerous precedent. Steve Lopez reminds us that we have an opportunity to say "no" and to speak up for those who are arguably the most marginalized among us.

To whom are YOU talking?

I have to admit I've always been one to talk to myself. I have an active mind, and much of the process that goes on between my ears is assisted if certain things are said out loud.

Now that's all fine and good if I happen to be by myself. But walking down the street, my mind wandering in one direction while my feet are headed in another, it can (I'm sure) be a little disconcerting for some to witness my ruminations. At least that's how it used to be....

These days, I'm far less concerned about it, because (as I've keenly observed) encountering people who seem to be talking to themselves is a common occurrence. Yes, they may have little bluetooth devices neatly tucked into their ears, but nevertheless, they're talking and there's no one in particular whom I can see who's listening.

This morning I walked by the Village (Long Beach, CA, 5th & Elm) on my way to my internship at Mental Health America of Los Angeles. Outside there were several folks waiting to get into this program that offers support services to persons with mental illness, and more than a few of them were having some very animated conversations with people I couldn't see. A little further down the sidewalk I passed someone who was similarly conversing, and I thought, "Yeah, right."

Yeah, I know...there's a difference. The folks with those little bluetooth devices in their ears are talking to REAL people...or so they say. But once again I was reminded that the line between "normal" and "whatever word you choose for abnormal" is one that is mostly artificial. In the end, we're all just talking. The question is, "To whom are we willing to take the time and listen?"

What works?

There are all kinds of solutions being offered out there to "solve the problem" of mental illness, particularly as it relates to homelessness. But are these people who need to be "solved" or can we look at things differently?

First, I'm of the opinion that society is the biggest loser when it comes to people with mental illness who are homeless, and not only because of the social costs involved in providing services (the "Million Dollar Murray" thing). These are people, after all...people with gifts and abilities that are generally being ignored in favor of the people as problem perspective.

Second, forcing people (and this goes for everyone) to do things seldom results in a transformation. You know, people are stubborn...if it's not our idea, we're usually not interested. (We can blame this one on the American ideal that we occasionally like to refer to, at least when it works for us. "Self-made" is good if it means our own personal autonomy...but we're not so sure we like the idea when it comes to people with a mental illness). This means that, though we may be uncomfortable with the idea (or uncomfortable with SEEING them) some people really do choose to be on the streets. Overall, society needs to find a better balance between personal autonomy and public good.

In the end the best source of ideas and energy for healing and wholeness is the people themselves. The extraordinary gifts and abilities of people, ALL people, are the fountainhead of new life and a source of hope for us all.

The truth about mental illness and violence

Let’s do a quick Google search for synonyms of mental illness and see what we come up with:

Aberrant…Crazed…Looney…Rabid...Unbalanced…Rash…Reckless…
Maniacal…Deranged…Sick-minded…Unsound…

Lions…and tigers…and BEARS…oh MY!

So what is the truth about people with mental illness and violent behavior? Should we be afraid?

The TRUTH is, the propensity of persons with serious mental illnesses to commit violent acts has been the subject of research and debate for over 70 years (Harris & Lurigio, 2007) resulting in findings that will be surprising to the average person who has bought into society’s media-driven and unsubstantiated fear of those who have mental illnesses:

• The vast majority of people with mental health conditions are no more violent than anyone else. (SAMHSA, 2008). “The absolute risk of violence among the mentally ill population is very small…only a small proportion of the violence in our society can be attributed to persons who are mentally ill” (Mulvey, 1994).

• The news media contributes to the stigma of violence and mental illness by what they include and what they exclude (Risser, 2004). The media’s tendency is to sensationalize crime that has allegedly been committed by a person with mental illness and/or to report the assumption that the persons who allegedly committed a crime have a mental illness. The news media scares people into believing that people with mental illness are also violent.

• The majority (72%) of characters with mental illness on TV are portrayed as violent. Movie portrayals of people with mental illnesses as villainous and violent contribute to popular misconceptions (Risser, 2004).

• If a person with a mental illness does commit a violent crime, it’s more likely due to the influence of drugs or alcohol, just as it is in the general population. Research exposes a correlation between violent crime and people who are “dually diagnosed” with a mental illness and a substance abuse problem.

• The best predictors of violence are youth, male gender, substance abuse and history of prior violence, not mental illness (Risser, 2004).

• Those suffering from psychosis such as schizophrenia are more often frightened, confused and despairing than violent.

• The stigma of violence attached to people with mental illness is a leading barrier to safe housing, employment and integration into normal community life (Perese, 2007), essentials to the leading a full and meaningful life.

• People with mental illness are much more likely to be the victims of crime: studies have shown that people with mental illness are 11 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population. (Teplin et al, 2005).

The TRUTH is, people with mental illness have been the victims of a fear-based smear campaign that has been going on for generations. The way we as a society seek to fully include people with mental illnesses as productive members of society is a reflection of whether or not we really mean it when we say, “and liberty and justice for all.”

“Although the world is full of suffering…it is also full of overcoming it.”
–Helen Keller

Sources:

Harris, A. & Lurigio, A. (2007). Mental illness and violence: A brief review of research and assessment strategies. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 542-551.

Mulvey, E. (1994). Assessing the evidence of a link between mental illness and violence. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 45, 663-668.

Myths and facts of mental illness. What a difference a friend makes. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from http://whatadifference.samhsa.gov/learn.asp?nav=nav01_1 &content=1_1_mythsfacts.

Perese, E. (2007). Stigma, poverty and victimization: Roadblocks to recovery for individuals with severe mental illness. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurse Association, 13, 285.

Risser, P. (2004). Barriers to self-determination for people who have been identified as having mental illness in western society. In J. Jonikas & J. Cook (Eds.), “We Make the Road by Traveling on It” conference papers from the National Self-Determination and Psychiatric Disability Invitational Conference (pp. 209-230). Chicago, IL: University of Illinois at Chicago

Teplin, L., McClelland, G., Abram, K. & Weiner, D. (2005). Crime victimization of adults with severe mental illness: Comparison with the national crime victimization survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62, 911-921.