Are mass shootings caused by mental illness? When a mass shooting occurs in the United States, there is often a debate of if it is a "gun problem" or a "mental health problem". In this episode I dive into the literature on mental illness and mass shootings. I address the misconceptions, as well as what the most recent research has to say. I discuss risk factors for gun violence and mass shootings, as well as the role of trauma in perpetrators of gun violence. Further, I discuss the impact mass shootings have on mental health, as the discussion tends to be unidirectional (e.g., mental illness causes mass shootings) rather than bidirectional (e.g. discussing both the impact of mental illness on mass shootings as well as the impact of mass shootings impact mental health). I discuss future directions and what we can do after a mass shooting occurs to protect our mental health and drive home the point that mass shootings are not caused by one factor alone. It is a multitude of factors that interact with one another and, thus, there is not only one solution.
Mentioned In this Episode
Talking with Kids About Trauma - Drop in with Dr. J Podcast Episode
Episode Resources
Ways to Work With Me:
Mind Over Matter
LGBTQ+ Affirming Masterclass
Resources:
Anti-Racism Resources
LGBTQ+ Affirming Resources
The Helping Professional's Guide to Boundary Setting
Connect with Me:
Follow me on IG @jessicaleighphd
Follow the podcast on IG @psych.talk.podcast
Follow me on TikTok @jessicaleighphd
Join my Facebook community: Grow Through What You Go Through
Sponsors & Collaborations:
BetterHelp
Intro/Outro Music:
Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod
Music License
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Support the show