Mental Health, Gun Violence, And Why America Connects Them

Congress is looking to pass a bipartisan gun safety proposal. And if it succeeds, the bill could come with a hefty investment in mental health treatment.

Lawmakers have yet to solidify their plans, but they've said a Senate bill would include bolstering school-based mental health services, crisis intervention, substance use disorder services, and suicide prevention.

Mental health providers say they'll take all the federal resources they can get, but they aren't convinced it will do much to prevent mass shootings.

There's little evidence that people with mental health issues are more likely to assault or kill someone with a gun. In fact, people with mental illnesses are more likely to be the victims of this violence.

One area where mental health and guns do collide is suicide, which accounts for thousands more firearm deaths every year than homicides, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We talk about the connection between mental health and gun violence.

Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.