A Mental Health Problem at the Highest Level

At the time of this writing, there have been 378 mass shootings in America this year alone. By the time this podcast is published, that number is likely to have increased. There have been 555 in the last 514 days, and three of the ten deadliest mass shootings in American history have occurred in the past 18 months. 

At press conferences scheduled in the wake of so many of these events, with a nation seeking answers, the one answer that often surfaces is clear and unwavering: this is a mental health issue at the highest level, and to stop these shootings, something must be done to address mental illness in America. When the lights fade away, however, and the speakers step off of the stage, it seems that the national conversation ends. Until the next tragedy.

On this episode of The Scientific Method, we are joined by PNWU Executive Director of Medical Simulation, Lisa Munoz. On October 1, 2017, Lisa saw those statistics come to life as she stood in a crowd of over 20,000 concert-goers when shots rang out over Las Vegas. 

What is the current state of mental health in America? Is mental illness truly to blame for these all-too-common tragedies? And, if these tragedies are viewed as society's open-door to discussing mental illness, how does that influence the estimated 44 million Americans who will suffer from some form of mental illness each year?