By Theresa Schliep

As the prevalence of mass shootings in the United States continues to proliferate, a conversation on the role of mental health in these violent attacks has become standard in national media. Some worry about the repercussions of this conversation on the stigmatization of mental health.

The conversation on mental health hit close to home at Fordham after two students at Fordham Preparatory committed suicide within two weeks of each other in February.

Fordham University’s psychology department, as well as the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS), works to reduce mental health stigma and misinformation. CPS collaborates with the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses Active Minds student clubs in order to implement programs, activities and awareness campaigns that focus on reducing mental health stigma.

Despite this work, some feel that there is still a stigma against mental health at Fordham.

“[There is a stigma] primarily because stigma and misinformation about mental health still exists in our larger society,” said Jeffrey Ng, Psy.D, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services in an email interview.

Some students said that a lack of conversation stigmatizes mental illness.

“It is something that should be talked about,” said Gabrielle Gillespie, FCRH ‘19. “The lack of conversation about it implies that it is not a valid issue, which can lead to stigma.”

Ng said that normalizing mental health services can help prevent suicide. It is everyone’s responsibility to encourage dialogue on mental health and suicide prevention.
“One of the most meaningful things we can do as students, faculty and staff is to normalize and destigmatize vulnerability and help-seeking,” said Ng.

This stigma exists in a time in which more students are seeking counseling. Five times as many students are obtaining help for mental health issues from 2009-2010, according to a report by Pennsylvania State University released in 2015.

There is debate over whether people are going to counseling services because of a higher rate of sick students or rather an improvement in the aforementioned stigma.

“I think the increase is predominantly because there is more of a national conversation on mental health,” said William Reisman, FCRH ‘19. “Although I’m unsure if there is an increase in those with mental illness, our generation is facing greater challenges than other generations because of increased anxieties regarding such things like the economy.”

A third of Americans have trouble accessing mental health care, and 40 percent have trouble accessing mental health care because of costs. However, many presidential candidates have not addressed these problems.

Senator Bernie Sanders promised to invest in mental health care in a Democratic debate in Flint, Michigan, because of concerns stemming from Republican rhetoric.

“When you watch these Republican debates, you know why we need to invest in that,” said the presidential candidate.

After shootings, such as those in San Berdandino, California, in which 16 were killed and 19 injured, and at Umpqua Community College in which 10 were killed and nine injured, there is an increase in mental health discussion in the media and politics.

This discussion apparently antagonizes mental health. A study called “Public Mental Health Stigma and Mass Shootings” found that the media often times uses derogatory language regarding mental illness and this rhetoric exacerbates the stigma of mental illness.

Advocacy groups have tried to distinguish between mental health and gun control legislation. For example, advocacy group Mental Health America was successful in making a presidential dinner in June 2013 just about mental health, instead of in terms of mental health and preventing mass shootings.

The study argues that the vast majority of those with mental illness are not violent, and policies that correlate mental illness and mass shootings discourage those with mental illnesses from seeking help.

Ng said that it is the responsibility of all, both at Fordham and nationally, to fight this misinformation and stigma.

“I think it’s critically important for us to recognize that mental health and suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility,” said Ng. “We’re all in this together and we all have a role to play in looking out for and supporting each other.”