Obama Calls for End to Mental Illness Stigma

WASHINGTON (AP) —

President Barack Obama said Monday that he wants to end the stigma of mental illness, at a White House conference organized in response to the December shootings at a Connecticut elementary school.

The event was designed to encourage those struggling with mental illness to seek treatment, although some attendees noted the government needs to provide more resources to meet that goal.

Despite it being the impetus for the conference, there was a notable lack of discussion of gun violence at the conference. The president never mentioned the matter as he opened the gathering from the East Room, instead stressing that he wants to make it clear that the majority of the mentally ill are not violent. He said his main goal in hosting the conference is “bringing mental illness out of the shadows” and encouraging those suffering to get help, particularly veterans and young people.

“We whisper about mental health issues and avoid asking too many questions,” the president said. “The brain is a body part, too. We just know less about it. And there should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love. We’ve got to get rid of that embarrassment. We’ve got to get rid of that stigma.”

The conference comes after Obama’s effort to pass gun control, including more background checks for purchases and a ban on assault weapon sales, was voted down in the Senate. The need to improve the country’s mental health care system is something all sides of the gun debate, including the National Rifle Association, have advocated.

There’s been little publicly disclosed about the mental health of Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza, although it’s been documented that other gunmen involved in mass shootings suffered from mental illness. Federal law bans certain mentally ill people from purchasing firearms, but the background check system is woefully incomplete and Obama is trying to get more mental health records included.

The conference featured around 150 invited attendees including mental health advocates and patients, educators, health care providers, faith leaders, lawmakers and local government officials from across the country.

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