Let's improve help for mentally ill

Over the past week, the media has struggled with answering the question, "Who should be blamed for the NIU tragedy?"

According to the Illinois Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, from 1999 to 2005, guns were used to kill 8,018 Illinois residents.

In 2005, guns were used in 424 suicides in Illinois, a 10 percent increase from 2004.

White males committed 81 percent of these suicides. Guns were the weapons used by the NIU shooter.

However, other weapons also contributed to this tragedy. Lack of quality mental health services, the continuing low priority for funding and addressing serious mental health issues in Illinois, lack of insight and understanding of serious mental illness by close associates and friends of persons struggling with mental illness, and the unnecessarily high prevalence of suicide were all contributors.

Unfortunately, when incidents such as the NIU rampage occur, the level of stigma against all persons struggling with debilitating mental illnesses is unfairly heightened.

But only an extremely small number become uncontrollably violent. Incidents of public violence by persons with mental illness can generally be attributed to treatment lapses.

Obviously we need to recognize that persons with mental illnesses should not be blamed or held accountable.

Difficult work needs to be done. Let's start by reducing gun violence in our society, enhancing public understanding of mental illnesses with proven treatment programs, and promoting suicide prevention programs.

I'm facilitating a mental health study with other Kane County League of Women Voters members, and these are all issues we will continue to monitor.

Darlene Bakk

Campton Hills