This is a very tough & nuanced one to discuss, given all the factors – who the shooter was, who they shot, their age, what the bkgrnd was. But…if we don’t discuss it…& we don’t get it right, we’re a dog chasing our own tail – not only in a spot where this may never get better, but it actually may get worse.
Bc I’ve gotten to know so many of you who follow this page…& have gotten to speak w MH advocates, globally – I think there’s almost universal agreement that we would WANT for everyone on this planet to have MH check-ups, at least once a yr. We’re recommended to do that for our physical health.
For advocates, MH check-ups for everyone is/would be a GOOD thing. Find out how we’re doing. See how things in our lives may’ve changed in the last yr. Discuss how we’re feeling & what signs we can notice in ourselves.
Check-Up…Assessment…Evaluation…all sound pretty similar to the layman, right? But look at the headline of this NY Times article. “Held for MH Evaluation.” Look at the headline of the articles on the next slide➡️, all abt MH Evaluations.
Does this verbiage make the avg person WANT to check on their own MH? Be proactive? Tell their office/fam/friends they’d like to get an assessment & ask for help? No. Way.
We know that at the FAR end of the MH continuum, one can experience thoughts of A) harm to ourselves & B) harm to others. If those error msgs can happen to ANYONE, as was the case w this 18yr-old, one yr ago (where he talked of committing a mass murder/suicide), why isn’t THAT the focus of the a) authorities, & b) headlines.
I’d have no problem if the headlines said – “Suspect had previous thoughts of harm to others.” There is NO reason to include the term MH, or MH Evaluations in that explanation/bkgrnd. Bottom line if someone (claiming to be joking or not), talks abt harm to themselves/others, THAT should be the focus – of the processes we follow, the laws we enact to stop these acts, & the headlines we write.
Keeping the term MH in these headlines, when we ALL have MH that fluctuates – as “the possible reason” just sets us back tremendously from normalizing this convo.