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Carole Mikita reporting What obligation do family members and friends of a person with mental illness have to report a change of medication, or strange behavior? Who do you report it to? Eyewitness News has been looking into this issue and got some advice from an expert.
The shootings at Northern Illinois University have caused questions to surface again, just like they did after the Virginia Tech shootings. Should someone have noticed what amount to warning signs in Stephen Kazmierczak's behavior? Who is responsible or who can report concerns?
Six months ago, Kazmierczak started buying the guns and getting tattoos of knives and bloody figures. We now know he spent a year in a psychiatric facility as a teenager.
The information is eerily similar to that of Seung-Hui Cho, the Virginia Tech shooter. Mental health experts say family members can intervene. "If someone is deemed mentally ill and immediately dangerous to themselves or other people, then they can be committed and be hospitalized," explained Dr. John Malouf, with Valley Mental Health.
Malouf says even friends who suspect problems can contact the person's doctor or a mental health center like Valley Mental Health.
Police say you can even call them for help. Sgt Victor Quezada, spokesman for the Sandy Police Department, says though it's not a crime to show symptoms of a mental disorder, police can help. "We can make contact with that person, see if they're willing to possibly go get evaluated by a professional, see if there's medications they could be on. We're not going to follow anybody around or anything like that, but we would like to get them the help they need through our professional assistance programs we have here throughout the valley."
Medications for mental diseases or illnesses can have undesirable side effects that dull reactions and make users sleepy or irritable. Malouf says many patients can change or go without medication for periods of time as long as they stay in touch with their doctors.
These warning signs can suggest a crisis: a history of violence is number one, followed by serious mental instability, drug abuse, a lack of empathy or feelings, availability of a weapon, and a recent loss.
Sherri Wittwer, executive director for Utah's chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) said, "We do know that there should be greater education amongst the public about mental illness and the signs and symptoms to look for, and also a push to get people the help they need early on. If we can intervene earlier, we have better treatment outcomes."
Many people have one or more of these and don't commit violent acts, but Malouf wonders if anyone close to Kazmierczak thought to question him. This is speculation: If somebody had asked him, 'Are you thinking about doing something violent? Are you thinking about doing something unwise?' you wonder what kind of a response you would have gotten," Malouf said.
It is important to remember the majority of people with a mental illness are not violent. "These kinds of news stories and these kinds of events can really stigmatize a large population, so I think it's critical to remember that in most cases, these kinds of things won't happen," Malouf said.
If you are concerned about a family member or friend and think he or she needs help, or if you simply want to know more about mental illnesses, click the related link.
