I understand the reaction and frustration of people, when someone accused of a heinous crime appear to hide behind mental health. We prefer to say they are evil! Society would prefer to just label them as criminals and wrong-uns!
But it shouldn’t take genius to know that it isn’t ‘evil’ that leads a teenager to pick up a knife and stab a bunch of toddlers! There is something not right in that head!
And it isn’t just about heinous crimes. For someone to get on the computer and start raining abuse on people they have never met, will likely never meet, just to hurt them. That isn’t the action of someone who’s right in the head, is it?
And it is not limited to the general public.
When you look at all the issues we are facing as a society: the readiness and willingness to resort to violence; rioting at protests etc. It is very clear to see that there are thousands of mentally ill individuals in our society. It is largely ignored, because we want to say a racist is a racist and criminals are just criminals. But the reality is that most of those behaviours are simply not rational. To take one look at someone and hate them, just because of what you see, is definitely a mental health issue. To attend protests and seek to haul bricks at the police, when you know fully well that such actions will not lead to any solution to what you are protesting about, is definitely a mental Heath issue. Teenagers (and others) carrying knives and willingly pulling it out and stabbing people (rampant in London), is definitely a mental health issue.
The government must invest HEAVILY in ways to improve mental health. Our prisons are said to be past bursting point! (what are the chances of rehabilitation under such circumstances?). Clearly, we must find another way. Prevention must be better than cure methinks!
Knowledge can improve the world we live in 