Airport shooting highlights human rights problems faced by people with mental illness

A man was shot to death by federal air marshals at a Miami airport last week. Media reports indicated that the man, Rigoberto Alpizar, an American citizen, ran from an aircraft after claiming to have a bomb in his backpack. No bomb was found.

It was later revealed that Mr. Alpizar may have been mentally ill, suffering from a bipolar disorder, and off his medication.

This copy of an undated family photo shows Costa Ricans Rigoberto Alpizar, right, and his brother Rolando Alpizar, left, and his sister-in-law Violeta Castro, center, outside their home in Costa Rica. Alpizar, a passenger who claimed to have a bomb in his backpack was shot and killed by a federal air marshal Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005, after he bolted frantically from an American Airlines jetliner that was boarding for take off at Miami International Airport. No bomb was found. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Family)

This tragic incident is by no means unique. A nonprofit group called Treatment Advocacy Center this year published results of a study indicating that people who are mentally ill are four times more likely to be killed by police as compared to other members of the public. Moreover, people who suffer from a severe or chronic mental illness face a number of daily obstacles few of us can even imagine.

First, the mentally ill are confronted with the problem of dealing with the disturbing and potentially debilitating symptoms of a mental or emotional disorder. One’s symptoms might range from nervousness, anxiety, and depression, to hallucinations, and bizarre and frightening delusions. The simple process of reliably distinguishing between reality and fantasy, an ability taken for granted by most of us, can be a major challenge for a person experiencing a severe thought disturbance, known as psychosis.

Further, the mentally ill are often misunderstood and demonized by our societies. People often look upon mental disorders as a sign of low intelligence, indecisiveness, or worse. Some groups hold that the mentally ill are impious, immoral, even influenced or possessed by evil spirits. Despite the development and availability of effective treatments for mental illness, there is a persistent belief in our societies that psychological disorders are untreatable.

Ironically, Mr. Alpizar's killing approximately coincided with December 10, designated as Human Rights Day, a day the World Health Organization (WHO) has dedicated to people with mental disorders. The following important facts are offered by WHO on this occasion:

• 450 million people worldwide are affected by mental, neurological or behavioral problems at any time.

• About 873,000 people die by suicide every year.

• Mental illnesses are common to all countries and cause immense suffering. People with these disorders are often subjected to social isolation, poor quality of life and increased mortality. These disorders are the cause of staggering economic and social costs.

• One in four patients visiting a health service has at least one mental, neurological or behavioral disorder but most of these disorders are neither diagnosed nor treated.

• Mental illnesses affect and are affected by chronic conditions such as cancer, heart and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. Untreated, they bring about unhealthy behavior, non-compliance with prescribed medical regimens, diminished immune functioning, and poor prognosis.

• Cost-effective treatments exist for most disorders and, if correctly applied, could enable most of those affected to become functioning members of society.

• Barriers to effective treatment of mental illness include lack of recognition of the seriousness of mental illness and lack of understanding about the benefits of services. Policy makers, insurance companies, health and labor policies, and the public at large – all discriminate between physical and mental problems.

• Most middle and low-income countries devote less than 1% of their health expenditure to mental health. Consequently mental health policies, legislation, community care facilities, and treatments for people with mental illness are not given the priority they deserve.

It is important for us to develop an increased awareness and sensitivity to the problems faced by those with mental illness. Treating these individuals with greater understanding and compassion makes good sense, both from a humanitarian and a practical, economic perspective.

To learn more about mental health issues, visit the WHO website at http://www.who.int/, or the American Psychological Association’s website at http://www.apa.org/.