Guest post by Jennifer DiCostanzo, LCSW, CADC, CODP1
Let me start off by making it clear that this piece is not political. It is not intended to persuade an opinion about the Second Amendment in either direction. Rather, it is to destigmatize mental illness and to be an advocate for a community I have devoted my career to helping.
Whenever we hear of a “new” mass shooting on the news, social media, radio, etc., undoubtedly one of the first issues brought up is whether the individual has a history of mental illness. My question is, why? In fact, I believe we need to ask ourselves as a society, why? Why are people who struggle with mental illness the automatic scapegoats?
The answer, I believe, is simply because it’s convenient. It’s easier for special interest groups and our nation’s politicians to lay blame with individuals with mental illness rather than with their own failure to work together to create effective regulations to prevent access to guns for criminals and others who shouldn’t have them. The truth of the matter is people who struggle with mental illness are far less likely to be violent and are in fact, much more likely to be victims of violent crime.
In a 2020 scholarly article published in Front Psychology, researchers found that 2-13% of violent crimes are committed by individuals who have a mental illness, while 20-34% of victims of violent crimes are mentally ill. This research only looked at reported crimes, so the number is probably much higher if we take into account the number of violent crimes that are not reported or cannot be reported by someone with severe mental illness.
Another study, shared by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), documented that less than 4% of violent crime is committed by individuals with mental illness and that the percentage of gun-specific violence is even less than that. It is much more likely for an individual with mental illness to use a firearm on themselves than on someone else, evidenced by 2020 data from the CDC showing 45,222 deaths by firearms. Of those, 24,292 were self-inflicted.
I could go on and on with the data to factually counter the common belief that mental illness causes gun violence, but I think you get the picture. Masses of data collected in numerous studies show that most individuals with mental illness never become violent. In all my reading, I have never come across a study that contradicts that point.
What Causes Gun Violence
Now that we have addressed the elephant in the room, you might be asking yourself “so then what causes gun violence, if not mental illness?” There is no single predictor for gun violence, but many predisposing risks associated with socioeconomic and sociocultural factors that develop throughout childhood and adolescence. Some prominent factors contributing to gun violence in society are: being a young male (18-34 years old), having a history of violent behavior (bullying, acting out physically, etc.), having a history of being sexually and/or domestically abused, and abusing drugs and alcohol.
Some research has even shown a link between certain prenatal conditions in mothers and increased risk for future gun violence. However, that finding is not all that surprising if you examine the types of prenatal issues that increase the risk. These include low birth weight of the baby, substance use by the mom, high levels of prenatal stress, and birth complications. Also, these issues tend to create a cycle that repeats, as we know trauma is generational – trauma in one generation sets up conditions for trauma in the next generations. Additionally, these pre-natal issues disproportionately affect women of color and those with low socioeconomic status.
Related Reading: How to Talk to Friends and Family About Mental Health
To be clear, I am not implying that one race is more likely to perpetrate gun violence than another. In fact, studies show that white males are more likely to engage in mass shootings while black and brown males are more likely to be involved in individual homicides.
Given all the facts I’ve mentioned, it seems to me that it would be far more productive for society to focus on creating systems for healthy birth outcomes, access to adequate healthcare for all despite socioeconomic status, plentiful high-quality after-school programs, access to behavioral counseling for children and teens, parenting classes, and substance use prevention programs. Putting more attention and resources into prevention is the best way to combat this societal problem and to keep us safe at school, work, in stores, in movie theaters, etc.
How Does Gun Violence Affect Mental Health
What is certainly true is that gun violence impacts mental health at far, far greater rates than gun violence being caused by mental health issues. Gun violence causes trauma, plain and simple. It causes trauma to the survivors who escaped, to the family and friends of victims, to the community of the victim, to the first responders, and to you. Yes, you.
This is why. Therapists have long been aware of vicarious trauma and how it affects us throughout our career as we listen to people’s trauma day in and day out. Now with everything being so accessible and having instant news at your fingertips, vicarious trauma is affecting the public more than ever, particularly within the past 2 years. As of June 2, 2022, according to the Washington Post, there have been over 250 mass shootings in 2022 alone. How could that not affect you?
Along with increased rates of trauma, gun violence can cause an increase in depression and anxiety. Parents being afraid to send their kids to school is anxiety. Feeling hopeless about the future generations is depression. Constantly looking around you while you’re shopping to make sure it’s safe is an effect of trauma. You may not recognize those thoughts and/or behaviors as trauma, anxiety, or depression, but if you are experiencing anything similar, help is available. It’s not a weakness nor anything to be ashamed about. These thoughts and feelings are normal reactions to abnormal situations.
Related Reading: How to Open Up to a Therapist About Trauma
So to recap, there are far more causes of gun violence than simply being mentally ill. It’s my hope that when the next shooting happens – because yes, another one will happen – we have more people standing up and advocating for real change rather than blaming gun violence on people who struggle with mental illness.
If you live in northern Illinois and are feeling the effects of the recent mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, or have been affected by gun violence in other ways, Life Care Wellness has qualified therapists ready to help. Contact us to be connected with a therapist in one of our four locations.
Jennifer DiCostanzo focuses on substance and process addictions, trauma, depression, bipolar, and anxiety disorders. She has a Master of Social Work in addition to being a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorder Professional (CODP1), and certified EMDR Therapist. Jennifer uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and EMDR in her work. She sees adults and conducts group therapy in the Glen Ellyn office.
