More Focus On Mental Illness After Sandy Hook Shootings [AUDIO]
After the tragic school shootings at the Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut, more focus is being placed on the mental health of the shooter, 20 year-old Adam Lanza.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness state headquarters is in Helena, and executive Director Matt Kuntz says most people with mental illness are far more likely to be victims, rather than instigators of violence. He says because each person is different, it is difficult to categorize the symptoms or behaviors of those who have mental illness.
Kuntz says without treatment,mentally ill individuals can hallucinate, suffer from delusions, and just like anyone else, can be driven to violence.
Kuntz says the organization known by the acronym NAMI has crafted a letter to President Obama asking for funding to do more research on the causes of mental illness. That link is provided below.
State Executive Director of NAMI, Matt Kuntz