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Abstract
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Mass shootings exert a strong influence on public policy and on public perception despite the fact that they are relatively rare. Mass shootings are defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as an incident in which at least four people were murdered by a gun [1]. In 2012, 151 people were killed in mass shootings, compared with 31,672 firearm-related deaths in the United States in 2011 [2]. Although statistically rare, mass shootings are a significant factor driving current policy debates about mental illness and gun control and they shape public views about mental illness [3].
Media coverage of mass shootings frequently uses derogatory language about mental illness. Research suggests that mass shootings exacerbate the stigma of mental illness [3,4], and provide a window of opportunity to pass mental health laws. For example, the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting precipitated the NICS [5] Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA), which was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2008 [5]. Its intent was to increase mental health record reporting to National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a national system used by the FBI to run background checks on gun license applications. In Virginia, the state legislature loosened standards for involuntary commitment and expanded the criteria for mandatory psychiatric outpatient treatment. On April 30, 2007, Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine issued an executive order that eliminated the distinction between inpatient and outpatient settings as a criterion for reporting mental health records to NICS [6].
Mass shootings also strengthen political support for mental health services. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a major factor that led President Obama to request $235 million for new mental health initiatives; $130 million of that was earmarked for preventive mental health care for school-age children [7]. Following the 2012 shooting in Aurora, Colorado, Governor John Hickenlooper pledged to improve a state mental health system that had been devastated by budget cuts [8].
The Sandy Hook shooting resulted in new mental health laws in 16 states [9]. Mental health laws comprise any piece...
Language: en |