Murder at Va. Tech

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

I would surmise that China considers mental illness to be a "Western problem" only. When the Soviet Union had that serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo, running around, it took a while for them to even acknowledge the idea that they had a serial killer on the loose, let alone put forward efforts to catch him (which they eventually did). That's Communist mentality for you.

damn...he was a bad evil man...one thing I noted is that Russia wasted no time executing when they finally put their minds to it...question is, would they have released him the frst time had they mentally evaluated him.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

damn...he was a bad evil man...one thing I noted is that Russia wasted no time executing when they finally put their minds to it...question is, would they have released him the frst time had they mentally evaluated him.

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/s...lo/coat_1.html

They actually questioned him a first time, but released him because his seminal antigens did not match the blood antigens, or something like that. Later on, they found out that this was actually a mistake! ARGH!

But anyone, if you can stomach it, read the full story on Crime Library.com - it pretty much tells the full story.

One thing about Chikatilo - he definitely had some deviancy going on, but I don't know if you can really say that he had 'mental illness'. Whereas, that Chinese student at Va.Tech who did the beheading and Vince Li (Greyhound bus killer and beheader) - they were both Chinese Nationals and I would predict that they both have some type of schizophrenia going on.

But yeah, I stand by my statement that China is behind the times in terms of being "up" on things like mental illness.

[AGDee]

My gut instinct is that the Chinese see mental illness as a family shame and hide it. However, since I work with quite a few people who grew up in China, I will ask them about it, unless someone can chime in definitively before then.

[DaemonSeid]

We are speaking about China..what about the US?

What about people who go out and kill their families, including the DOG before they turn the gun upon themselves?

What about the ones that kill people and then wait months, weeks or years before they lie to report that they were even missing?

What about those who kill and do something heinous like try to BBQ the body or hack them to peices?

What about people who kill their pregnant spouses and try to cover the crime?

What about kids who get their hands on guns and shoot someone because they got their foot stepped on or saw it on GTA or got influenced to kill because they saw it on wrestling?

And so on...let's not make this a China problem or an Asian problem because America can just as easily turn the mirror upon itself when it comes to senseless killings and mental disabilities.


ETA: Think about this case:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/loc...tory?track=rss

[AKA_Monet]

Let me be clear on this: I do know quite a bit about mental illness, both personally and through my own scientific inquiry and literature review...

As I understand it, most universities do a general admissions process. Fill out forms, write an essay, take required tests (SAT, ACT, etc.), then letters of recommendations. We all know this. My question is, how much stock is put into this essay? How well is it mentally evaluated? Because through writing, we can tell someone real-time mental thinking versus when mom wrote the essay...

Secondly, as for other cultures, I do know for a fact that numerous cultures are ignorant and unaware about mental illness. They are clueless as to when one suffers and have know clue as to what that looks like. The person, often suffers in silence and isolation, and usually winds up causing harm to him or herself, maybe others. The thinking is some parts of the culture, is that this person was weak, was not saved, etc. That is still a judgment. Welcome to the stigma of mental illness. The people who witness the after-effects, often wonder how come the person did not seek help, etc. Let's chalk it up to "health disparities" and lack of "cultural competencies"...

My business is devoted to eradicating the stigma, ending disparities and improving competencies. This goes to say, Zhu had identifiable problems prior to killing this young lady... As for Cho, the way I read the information, he was severely emotionally disturbed long before going to VT and that is probably why his parents moved to the US so he could get effective treatment. Either of them could have not been admitted, but that is another form of burying the problem or passing the buck, rather than confronting the issue: How about having the "infrastructure" where ANYONE can get what they need in care? Because most universities have cut mental health services to EVERYONE...

And just because someone has a strong mental illness, does not mean the are uneducated or retarded. It means there is something (generally chemically) in their brain that disrupts/disconnects appropriate emotional responses to social environments. The mind is a part of the body and is an organ, too. No one would tell a cancer patient to endure the pain of tumors and get over it, so why would the same thing be said to someone who is mentally ill, where the tumors are the bad thoughts?

Lastly, the US still stigmatizes and has mythology associated with mental illness. Why? Who knows? While tolerated more than other countries, I care about this country and how we can improve mental health awareness. Until you have walked a mile in someone shoes who is suffering from mental angst, do not judge him/her and fearing him/her is silly. Become aware, informed and educated.

Nameste',

Dr. G-

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

And just because someone has a strong mental illness, does not mean the are uneducated or retarded.

You're not equating being "retarded" with being uneducated, right? It seems like you are in your post, and that just seems like an odd thing to say in the context of the rest of your post.

I may just be a little hypersensitive to it because I have a couple of special education teachers in my family (including a college professor/former administrator who is an expert on the subject), but that's how I read your statement.

[AGDee]

I was in no way implying that our mental health system and our treatment of the mentally ill is good. I worked in the field for 13 years and watched it deteriorate first hand. There is still a huge stigma in the US against the mentally ill. MOST people with mental illness aren't going to behead someone. There are mentally ill people in all walks of life. There are those who stay on medications and they work for them and you interact with them every day and don't even know it. To not allow anybody with a mental illness to go to college isn't a good solution. 66% of the homeless are people who are mentally ill. If you take away all opportunities for someone with a mental illness to get an education, you are pretty much relegating them to be in poverty. Additionally most mental illnesses first manifest themselves around college age. You can't screen for something that hasn't happened yet. I don't see it providing much benefit, honestly.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

You're not equating being "retarded" with being uneducated, right? It seems like you are in your post, and that just seems like an odd thing to say in the context of the rest of your post.

I may just be a little hypersensitive to it because I have a couple of special education teachers in my family (including a college professor/former administrator who is an expert on the subject), but that's how I read your statement.

No, I did not equate the 2. I have written it incorrectly. But there are quite a few low IQ people in that are imprisoned who would qualify for mental retardation, but just test on the cuff...

I can understand your hypersensitivity to the subject as I am for those who suffer mental illness and are harmless.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by AGDee

My gut instinct is that the Chinese see mental illness as a family shame and hide it.

I think you are pretty bang on. Tell us what your contact said. I am interested to hear his/her take on it.

As for the Baltimore Sun story, that kid was battered for years and years at the hands of his father. He was traumatized but I wouldn't say he was mentally ill.

Whereas, at the Virginia Tech beheading, it sounds like the 2 students barely knew each other and the Greyhound Case, it was completely out of the blue (the murder victim was sleeping and listening to his IPod). Maybe some people are born with a defect in their brains and makes them act out so violently or think that they perceive some threat to their own person. And sadly, I cannot see that any amount of "screening" will ever be able to prevent this.

And with that note, I am off to bed.