Brown and Gillison: We Need to Stop Conflating Mental Illness and ‘Gun Violence’

Following [mass shootings], the national conversation quickly shifts to discuss mental illness as the culprit. Policymakers discuss the need for more mental health services and programs that keep “dangerous people with mental illness” off the streets. But these talking points perpetuate a false narrative and play on the fears and anxiety of the public. The data tells a much different story. People with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence, not perpetrators, and severe mental illness can only be attributed to 3 to 5 percent of violent acts in communities.  

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