Mental Health and Gun Violence: Interview

Interview Transcript
Hayden Goss and Ryan Morgan

Interviewee: Mrs. Shelley Danser, Counselor

1) Have you ever dealt with a person that was a danger to themselves or society? If not, do you know someone who has?
I have dealt with many individuals who have been at risk for self-harm. The majority with mental illness are not at risk of hurting others or using violence. I have never treated someone who is at an imminent risk of hurting someone else. I have treated children with aggressive behaviors but did not rise to the levels of potential homicide.

If so, what did you (or the other person) do about it?

It really depends- each situation is vastly different. There are many different ways in which people experience suicidal thoughts, intentions, or plans. I have done as little as assess them for safety or deem them capable of reaching out to someone else, come up with a plan to keep them safe, and I have had to do the opposite extreme and work based on imminent risk and urge them to emergency safety measures.

2) What are some of the warning signs that would indicate that someone needs to be helped?

I made a list for this- having just one of these signs does not mean someone is at risk. However it’s certainly something to notice and talk to an adult about though if a friend exhibits these traits.

Threatening/wanting to hurt someone else
Looking for ways to accomplish just that (acquire firearms, medications, etc)
Writing and talking about death or dying- may be normal, but can be unusual
Uncontrolled anger, revenge
Hopelessness
reckless/risky behaviors without thinking about it; impulsivity
Feeling trapped (harder to detect) - abusive household
Child abuse
Withdrawing from family, friends, society
Increasing alcohol/drug use- thinking less clearly, inhibitions diminished
Suddenly unable to sleep or sleeping all the time
Dramatic mood changes
No sense/purpose in life, expressed in some capacity
All of these things are things family or friends can notice and should be talked about to a mental professional.

3) If you were to report someone who needs help, who should it be reported to?
Best case scenario: come to the school counselor. Not only does a mental health professional have training and experience, letting a mental professional know is a confidential way to let someone know they are concerned.

If not a mental health professional, choose a dean or administrator, or any other school staff.

3.5) Follow up question→ Say our neighbor was exhibiting these same traits. How should we deal with it if we are in an outside of school situation?

If the situation is out of school, let any adult in your life know- notably someone who will follow through to get them help. Another option is to call 911 and ask for CIT officers, who have crisis intervention training which will help someone with mental issues. You can call and let them know your concerns, and ask if a CIT officer can check in on them. You have the right to take people involuntarily to the officer.

4) What should we do if this person is unwilling to get help?

Continue to reach out and let them know that you care and that you are willing to talk about it. Leave the line of communication open. Continue to report to whichever adult/mental health professional your concerns. With adults, it becomes a little bit trickier. You can get them involuntarily committed– if they are at the risk of hurting themselves, they can be involuntarily committed, but it is very challenging to do so, and the process is arduous.

5) How can the average person help out people with mental health issues who may pose potential danger?
There is an enormous stigma about mental illness, which we need to break. For example, I worked as a facilitator of a program which recruited and trained volunteers, who were matched with people with severe mental illness. Through this program, people afflicted with mental illness gain more social interaction and improve their quality of life. No one should assume someone with mental health is at a risk of harming others– statistics show that more often mentally ill people are a victim of violence than they are the perpetrator. If you notice a red flag, seek assistance or involve law enforcement if necessary. Engage in more conversations around mental illness and the stigmas around mental illness.

6) How will we differentiate or discern false flags (as in, how can we tell that someone poses a risk)?

The amount of people at risk of hurting others is tiny, but the amount of people at risk of hurting themselves is significantly greater. The majority of gun deaths in America are suicides. It makes much more sense to report to a mental health professional that you have a concern than trying to make a correct judgement call. Do not worry whether you are making a mistake, it may be that you are correct. It is a mental health professional’s role to discern whether a symptom is an indicator and whether action should be taken. This “better safe than sorry” attitude reduces the risk of people dying, in the end.

7)
What type of solution (government/community driven) will affect certain mentally ill people positively so that they do not end up choosing to kill (themselves or another)?

Better access to mental health services is a proper solution. From my experience, I ran a program called the “pro bono counseling network, which connected uninsured people or underinsured people to counseling, as it is very difficult for a lot of people to afford mental health services. Additionally, there is a shortage of mental health professionals in many regions of the country. Financially and policy-wise there is not enough invested in mental health. Addressing the issue of gun violence related to mental health, instead of a blanket background check; scan for restraining orders, violent tendencies, convictions for a violent act, and DUIs. People who exhibit tendencies like these or have committed these acts should be placed on a “firearm restraining order.”

Thorough research should be conducted on the link between mental illness and gun violence, and Congress should make policy decisions based on the evidence produced.