February 14, 2013 | Back to: News



Many commentators and politicians, say it is our "broken Mental Health System" that needs to be fixed. I am certain that something needs to be fixed, particularly our access to mental health services, but to declare there is a system, broken or otherwise, is naïve. In our own state of Nevada, the legislative body has cut 38.1 percent from the total general fund mental health budget over the past three years, making it the state with the 5th highest cut to mental health funding in America (statistic from the National Alliance on Mental Health).


Given that hurdle, we do have some ideas about what might predispose someone to consider mass homicide. In a detailed case study done on 5 mass murderers it was found they all shared some common characteristics and background history.


Here are some possible signs that someone needs urgent mental health treatment:




4. Onset of paranoia or suspiciousness.


6. Development of frank delusions or hallucinations.

These behavior changes often occur in adolescence or early adulthood and are sometimes the warning signs of very serious mental illness, such as Bipolar Disorder or Schizophrenia. Families or the educational system (high schools, colleges and universities) are often left with the responsibility of finding help for someone who doesn't want it. In the next article we can discuss where this help may come from, and look at some examples of how residential treatment, counseling or medications can make a positive impact.



Kristin Hestdalen
Special to the Bonanza

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