In a recent article titled "Ask SciCheck Files: The Relationship Between Mental Health and Mass Shootings", FactCheck.org (FCO) misleadingly describes mental health as mental illness to falsely claim that the mental health concerns of officials is irrelevant.
In the article, FCO states that:
In the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, some officials have cited mental illness as a reason for the unprovoked attacks.
Subsequently, they list the views of former President Donald Trump, who is not an official nor a lawmaker, and as such, doesn't meet the criteria presented of an "official", and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who is an official, who said:
“We, as a state, we, as a society, need to do a better job with mental health ... Anybody who shoots somebody else has a mental health challenge, period.”
FCO argues:
people with mental health disorders are more likely than those without such conditions to commit acts of mass violence, but many mass shooters do not have mental illnesses. It has not been shown that mental illness is the primary cause of mass murder.
There is no argument with FCO's statement, however, its application to what Abbott said is misleading and falsely makes an assumption while offering an opinion of what Abbott meant, by asserting a "mental health challenge" must mean a "mental health disorder". Abbott said "mental health" and "a mental health challenge", he did not say "mental health disorder" or "mental illness" or any other variation of the term, he said "a mental health challenge".
Multiple authorities on the matter differentiate the two terms "mental health" and "mental illness", commonly as the Taylor Counseling group (a treatment center) states on their website:
The terms “mental health” and “mental illness” are sometimes interchanged, but they differ in meaning. While mental health refers to anyone’s state of mental, emotional well-being, mental illnesses are diagnosed conditions that affect thoughts and behaviors.
Moreover, Beth McGinty, a mental health and substance abuse policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University and an "expert" presented by FCO to support their argument said that “No one who commits a violent act is mentally well”
FCO points out a distinct line drawn between "mental wellness" and "mental illness", which has no relevance to the fact they FCO asserts "mental health", "a mental health challenge" and "mental illness" all mean the same thing, when in fact they do not.
Jealousy can become a mental challenge leading to violence, but that is not a mental disorder such as schizophrenia which can lead to the same and every time there is a mass shooting, there are often behavioral patterns and evidence found after-the-fact that would have been an indication of the shooter not being mentally well.
This is similar to how a broken foot would be a "challenge" to walking, whereas ataxia would be an illness that disables walking.
FCO goes on to say that mental illness has not been shown to be a primary cause of mass shootings, but no "official" they presented said that it was and while their expert said the mental health system did indeed need improvement but that its improvement would not necessarily solve mass shootings, that again is not what was explicitly presented by any official.
What appears to be a common theme among mass-shootings are mental behavioral, and while not mental illness, as McGinty stated, it's certainly indicative of a lack of mental wellness, which is representative of what Abbott stated.
Mental wellness is a degree of mental health and mental illness is a state of mental health, but "doing a better job with mental health" does not mean "doing a better job with mental illness" and most people would agree that a mentally well person is not going to slaughter innocent children.
Regardless, FCO asserts mental health must mean mental illness despite offering evidence that it does not and evidence they offer actually supports what Abbott said. What they did not offer, is any evidence that Greg Abbott was referring to a mental illness or that mental illness is the primary cause of mass-shootings, they just made an assumption and presented it as a fact to check when the fact they checked was nothing that was stated by the official. Greg Abbott additionally never used the term "mental illness" as claimed in the articles lead.
As such, this is a false claim and misleading.
Note: In 2018, a study was conducted regarding mass shootings and mental illness, the research showed that 1/3 of mass-shootings were carried out by individuals suffering from a severe mental illness, even when narrowly defined, that was treatable. While this does not present a majority, it also does not include lesser forms of mental illness (which would likely increase this number) and regardless, the statistic is significant.
Summary
FactCheck.org claims official (aka Greg Abbott) targets mental illness as a primary cause of mass-shootings, but the official never stated that it was. FactCheck.org asserts and assumption as fact and as such makes a misleading false claim.
Claim: "Officials cite mental illness as a cause of mass shootings"
Fact Check Verdict: MISLEADING FALSE CLAIM
Claimant: FactCheck.org
