More beds, less deaths
In reading “Focus on Mental Health Laws to Curb Violence Is Unfair, Some Say” in the New York Times I am aware that little attention has been paid to the fact Adam Lanza was suicidal. As the Director of a Counseling Center and the head of the NYC College Suicide Prevention Consortium I am persistently concerned that suicidal students who need inpatient psychiatric care cannot get it because there are so few hospital beds available for treatment. We certainly need more funding for mental health services to stem the homicides committed by mentally ill individuals with guns. But what of the data that there are many more, over 38,000, that kill themselves every year (at least half with guns)? Most of these individuals have been to a doctor within the past 30 days, just like Adam Lanza. Perhaps if there was a place for them to be treated far fewer would die.