In all our communities are people suffering from mental illnesses whose families fight both the stigma and the lack of available or affordable care. The mass shootings from Columbine to Shady Hook have something in common beside guns. All shooters were known in their communities and families to have long-standing mental health issues, mostly untreated or treated only with medication that was not working.
We must destigmatize mental health issues and provide coverage and availability of a full range of mental health services in our communities.