Mental Illness Is an Illness

More than one in five people fatally shot by police have mental illnesses, according to a Washington Post database of fatal U.S. shootings by on-duty police officers. Since 2015, when The Post launched its database, police have fatally shot more than 1,400 people with mental illnesses.

People with untreated mental illness are 16 times more likely to be killed during a police encounter than other civilians approached or stopped by law enforcement, according to a new study released today by the Treatment Advocacy Center.

One summer night in 2022 in Oregon, Misty Castillo, the mother of Arcadio, called 911 asking for police assistance, saying her son was mentally ill and was threatening her and her husband with a knife.

“He’s drunk and he’s high and he’s mentally ill,” Castillo told the emergency dispatcher, emphasizing again her son’s mental condition.

Five minutes later the police arrived and shot her son. They did not try to calm the situation, they immediately burst in and shot him.

His story is typical of our present mental health system. His parents had sought mental health treatment for their son, but the system, such as it is, failed them. In the weeks before he was killed, they couldn’t get him diagnosed or committed. They were left with an untenable situation with no place to turn.

Matt Jones of West Virginia was suffering from a severe manic episode and was standing on a highway with a handgun. Police were called, and arrived with sirens wailing. One officer took a shot and then others opened fire, killing Jones in a hail of bullets.

Mr. Jones had been unable to get his medication refilled and was experiencing delusions and hallucinations. He knew he needed help but was unable to find someone who understood the immediacy of his situation.

By dismantling the mental health system, we have turned mental illness from a medical illness into a police matter and finally into homelessness.

Our homeless populations are mostly individuals with untreated mental illness or substance abusers who have nowhere to go. The general population wants these individuals to leave our streets even though the present mental health crisis has created this catastrophe.

Police departments have made significant efforts to minimize the harm for these individuals by having trained staff ride with them on patrol who are able to identify a mental health crisis and use conversation to de-escalate the situation. If violence is imminent, the police are present to assist.

In many cities, the police can transport an individual whom they believe is a harm to themselves or others, or unable to take care of themselves, to a crisis center for further evaluation. In Denver it is called a M1 hold; in Massachusetts it is a Section 12.

But because of the dearth of facilities, it is not infrequent for someone to be released with minimum medication to fend for themselves. A ride in a police vehicle and arrival at the hospital might be enough to calm a frightened soul. But then they are released. This is referred to as a revolving door with no exit. These souls who have no other place to go can only return.

What can be done?

First of all, there must be an acknowledgment that mental illness affects one in five people. It is time for the stigma associated with the disease to be buried and make help available.

Second, it should be recognized that serious and persistent mental illnesses are lifelong conditions that require kindness, treatment, and financial support from the policymakers who refuse to appreciate that these are people like ourselves.

Third, we need to recognize that psychiatric units are not profitable for hospitals, therefore they are fewer. The longevity of mental illness can be frustrating. Medications often require trial and error. Indigent individuals are often left with no place to turn and must worry about feeding families and maintaining or finding housing, all while struggling with a mental health system that is underfunded, ignorant, and short-sighted.

Mental Health Stigma Essential Reads

Self-Compassion Reduces Stigma in Chronic Physical Illness

What Too Many People Get Wrong About Men

Like cancer and heart disease, mental illness should be given priority. Ignoring the impact it has on society is similar to denying cancer or heart disease patients superb treatment. As a side note, cancer and heart disease are more profitable for medical institutions that seek reimbursement from governmental assistance that individuals are entitled to. Reimbursements for mental health care by Medicare, for example, are abysmal.

We live in a world that can feel like it's full of blame, prejudice, anger, selfishness, and lack of community. Individuals with mental illnesses need our care, compassion, and money so that they may live safely, with the treatment they are entitled to, without judgment, stigma, or impatience. None of us would choose to suffer from mental illness, nor do those who suffer from these conditions.