One expert said it was “deliberately unfair” to blame mental health issues for the mass shootings and “offensive” to those affected by these conditions.
Dr. Joel Dvoskin, a clinical psychologist at the Washington DC-based American Psychological Association, made the allegations after the shooting in Texas.
Instead of pointing the finger at mental health, the gun control expert said politicians should consider access to guns, delaying firearms reforms and stressful events as key factors.
His criticism comes in the wake of the gun violence that swept America over Memorial Day weekend after an 18-year-old man killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Texas.
At least 26 people were killed and dozens injured in shootings in Philadelphia, Maryland and Chicago.
One expert said it was “deliberately unfair” to blame mental health issues for the mass shootings and “offensive” to those affected by these conditions. (Above) A man crying at a makeshift memorial to Robb Elementary School, which was gunned down in front of the Uvalde County Courthouse in Texas on May 27, 2022.
When asked about the shooting in Dvoskin, Texas, he told ABC News: “The idea of blaming the mentally ill for this is a deliberately dishonest scapegoat of people who already have enough problems.
“They should not be humiliated by politicians looking for a way to avoid a more complex debate.”
He also said: “Very few of these mass shooters have a diagnosed mental illness.
“That doesn’t mean they’re doing well. I think it’s the best rhetoric to use. [instead of] The mentally ill are people in crisis.
“Someone having a tantrum of despair or anger… that doesn’t mean they’re going to shoot someone, but they should get help.”
Official 2018 statistics show that around 25% of shooters from 2000 to 2013 had a diagnosed mental health problem.
However, due to difficulties in accessing healthcare, many cases are likely to go undetected by mental health professionals before the mass shootings.
The gunman in Texas had no criminal record or was diagnosed with mental health problems. But her mother’s boyfriend described the teenager as a “loner” who stayed in his room, punched a punching bag and refused to let anyone in.
Dr. Joel Dvoskin, a clinical psychologist at the Washington DC-based American Psychological Association, made the claims earlier this week.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott said on Tuesday that a “mental health issue” played a role in the massacre.
Don McLaughlin, the mayor of the town of Uvalde where the attack took place, also said more mental health resources could avert the tragedy.
“Maybe we could,” he said. “Maybe if we had counselors, maybe if we had mental health people, we could do that.”
President Biden kicked off the gun control debate late Tuesday in a White House speech, hours after the shooting, when he said it was time to “turn pain into action” and help voters. gun lobby?
Texas Senator Ted Cruz was at the forefront of the backlash. Cruz said “targeting fugitives, criminals and bad guys” rather than the constitutional right to bear arms is key to reducing violence.
Source: Daily Mail
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