November 6, 2017 – New York, NY - According to the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), causes of firearm violence are complex and multifactorial and cannot be ascribed to a single cause or single population such as the “mentally ill”.

“Every human being, regardless of having a mental health diagnosis, is capable of acts of aggression and violence under stress,” said Harriet Wolfe, M.D. president of APsaA. “The U.S. does not have significantly higher rates of mental illness than other countries, but what we do have is too many guns and a lack of common sense gun laws.”

The association is committed to working with government leaders and other organizations on research and creating the effective policies and interventions needed to prevent further violence. It urges that the CDC be allowed to do rigorous, but currently forbidden, research on gun violence.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those lost to this horrific tragedy. We also say loudly that our association will not stop advocating for reasonable gun safety measures at the federal, state and local level,” said Wolfe.

Recommendations for safely reporting about mass shootings can be found here: https://www.reportingonmassshootings.org

Media Contact:

Wylie Tene

American Psychoanalytic Association

Director of Public Affairs

212-752-0450 ext. 29