The case of Vince Li, the man who beheaded a victim
aboard a Greyhound bus last year, made international headlines yesterday as
judge ruled Mr. Li was not criminally responsible due to mental illness. The
ruling means that Vince Li will be treated in a mental institution instead of
going to prison.
While the ruling is probably the right one, the resulting
media frenzy is doing little to dispel the myth that people with mental
disorders are violent. It also begs the question: what is the role and
responsibility of media in reporting on cases that involve mental illness?
A selection of headlines from major news networks clearly
seek to sensationalize the case of Vince Li and in the process make a link
between violence and mental illness :"Canada judge:
Vince Li not responsible for bus beheading due to mental illness" (Associated Press), "Canada bus
killer found mentally ill" (The West Australian), "Judge rules
bus beheading suspect mentally ill" (CNN.com), "Crazy bus cannibal sent to
mental institution" (Healthcare Industry Today). Even accompanying
photographs (like the one above) attempt to "demonize" Li again
reinforcing the idea that people with mental disorders look frightening.
While some people who suffer from mental illness do
commit antisocial acts, mental illness does not equal criminality or violence -
despite the media's tendency to emphasize a suspected link (e.g. psychotic
serial killers). In fact, people with mental illness are no more likely to
commit violence than the general public, but they are 2.5 times more likely to
be victimized and are more likely to inflict violent behaviours on themselves.
Furthermore, the general public is more likely to be violently victimized by
someone who does not have a mental illness rather than by someone who suffers
from mental illness.
From Reuters:
According to Chris
Summerville, the Chief Executive Officer of the SchizophreniaSociety of Canada, the likelihood of violence by people with mental
illness is exceptionally low. In fact, people living with mental illness are
more often the victims of violence. "Fortunately, studies show that when
people who were or would have been dangerous receive psychiatric treatment they
are no more dangerous than people without a diagnosis. But they have to receive
the treatment," says Dr. John Gray, a board member of the British Columbia
Schizophrenia Society.
Some evidence suggests that certain medications might
rarely be associated with aggression, but this doesn't mean there is a link
between psychiatric medications and violent behaviour. In fact, the drug that
is most often associated with aggressive behaviour is alcohol! Many medications
used to treat mental disorders are also helpful in treating violent behaviour.
It is important to remember that the best known predictor for future violent
behaviour is past violent or criminal behaviour, not mental illness.
While a tragedy of this scale is awful, it can lead to
constructive discussions about the need for
improved care and a national mental health strategy.
This tragic event
reinforces the urgent need for a national mental health strategy. Despite the
significant health, economic and social costs of mental illness, Canada is the
only G8 nation without a national strategy on mental illness. Summerville who is
also a board member of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, says, "In
many areas in Canada, there is a lack of psychiatric beds as well as lengthy
wait times to access appropriate mental health care." He adds, "If
there were not a comprehensive hospital or community services for people with
cancer, heart problems or other medical conditions, we as a society would be
outraged. Stigma and the lack of social and political will have resulted in
Canada's failed mental health system."
Canada has recently made some important strides in
addressing mental health and mental illness. The establishment of the Mental Health Commission of Canada is indeed a
vital step. But unfortunately it may be some time before the national discourse
and media coverage of people with mental illness catches up, and we stop
stigmatizing and sensationalizing people living with mental illness.
~ D. Venn
& Dr. Stan Kutcher
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