Mental Illness Focus Since Shooting

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — As one mental health agency tells ABC Columbia News, people are talking more about mental illness. However, calls from concerned parents have taken focus on the issue to a new level. The Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health of South Carolina has experienced a 20% increase in calls to its office since last Friday’s massacre. However, most of the inquiries have been from concerned Midlands parents of children who have mental disabilities. “Parents are more fearful of anyone knowing their child has a mental health issue because they’re afraid people will now say, ‘We don’t want our child to play with your child because your child is violent and may hurt my child,'” said Diane Flashnick, Executive Director. Flashnick claims while the Connecticut school shooter’s mental illness continues to be scrutinized, local parents are experiencing a different kind of scrutiny. “Parents even shared their child was afraid to go back to school because they were afraid kids would be a target or a bully.” Executive Director for South Carolina’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI, hopes some good comes out of the Newtown shooting. He says any discussion on mental illness is necessary, especially since it is known that the young man responsible for the Newtown, Connecticut, tragedy had lived with a form of it since childhood. “The more people talk about it, the more the stigma goes away,” said Lindsey. NAMI is even partnering with the state NAACP for its annual King Day at the Dome celebration, in an attempt to bring more awareness. And for parents still searching for answers, Diane Flashnick says, “parents need to understand if they’re trying to hide, there’s help out there.” You can contact the Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health of South Carolina at 803-772-5210, 1-866-779-0402 or www.fedfamsc.org. You can contact NAMI at: Helpline1-800-788-5131, or 1-803-733-9592, or E-mail: namisc@namisc.org.