AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION NEWS RELEASE

 
For Information  Contact:                                                     
               
June 13,  2007
Release No.  07-46

For Immediate  Release:
Lydia  Sermons-Ward, 703-907-8640                                             
          
_press@..._ (mailto:press@...)      
Jason  Young,  703-907-8582 
_jyoung@..._ (mailto:jyoung@...)    

APA WELCOMES RECOMMENDATIONS TO  PRESIDENT BUSH TO HELP PREVENT 
TRAGEDIES LIKE VIRGINIA TECH 

Arlington, Va. “ Today the American Psychiatric Association  (APA) 
issued the following statement welcoming a report to President Bush  looking into 
the Virginia Tech massacre and making recommendations on preventing 
such tragedies. 

The report, entitled “Report to the President on Issues  Raised by 
the Virginia Tech Tragedy,” was produced by the departments of Health  
and Human Services, Justice and Education.  The following statement is  
attributed to APA President Carolyn Robinowitz, M.D., and APA Medical  Director/CEO James 
H. Scully Jr., M.D.: 

We commend President Bush and federal  agencies for working quickly to 
direct our government in helping to prevent  tragedies like that at Virginia 
Tech.  We welcome this report and hope that  its recommendations will be 
adequately funded, especially with regard to making  mental health services 
available, and implemented with the best interests of all  stakeholders in mind. 
In our view, the best way to address  violent incidents is to prevent 
them from happening; this report is a step in  that direction.  Together our 
government, educational institutions,  parents, teachers, health care 
professionals and others can develop effective  strategies to identify individuals 
who need help.  We know that most of the  adolescents and young adults who have 
carried out violent attacks in school  settings have had long histories of 
emotional and behavioral problems.  And  we know that many of these troubled 
youths were not receiving adequate care. And some were not receiving any mental 
health care at at the time of their violent acts.  It is
 imperative that 
mental health services be available and accessible to all who need them.  Passing 
the mental health parity  legislation now before Congress would help, as it 
would require insurers to  treat mental illnesses “on par” with how 
physical illnesses and injuries are treated.  

The report recommendations encompass five  general areas: 
· information sharing with regard to potential problems  and 
threats on campuses; 
· background checks and eligibility to purchase  guns; 
· recognition of warning signs and encouraging those who  need 
help to seek it; 
· the availability of mental health services;  and 
· emergency preparedness and violence prevention  plans. 
We anticipate that there are vital policy  issues to be debated.  It is 
paramount that policymakers avoid measures  that are stigmatizing or 
that would violate the constitutional rights of persons  with mental illnesses.  
We are hopeful
 that all stakeholders will decline  to use the
Virginia Tech tragedy for political ends.  For example, the gun  control debate, as important as 
it is, should be advanced based on the facts and  not on the backs of those 
with mental illnesses. We continue to be mindful of the healing  that is taking place at 
Virginia Tech and hope that today's report will be a  positive step in the 
community's healing process. 

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