General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIf a person had depression issues as a teenager...
like so many teenagers do (runaway issues, depression, wild behavior, etc.), does that put them into some "mental health" database that will follow them around for the rest of their lives, even though they get through their teens to become well adjusted adults?
That's the problem I see with a mental health database. What constitutes mental issues to the point of barring them from buying a gun or being hired somewhere? And how far in the past can the mental issues be for them to be removed from the database?
I see this as a big discriminatory problem for people who have a rough patch but recover, esp teens. The teenage years are strife with problems (at least ours were in our family).
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)I have no idea how well employers have access to that sort of stuff though, but I know if you are committed to a psychiatric hospital it's on your record.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)making any sort of database is just an awful, awful idea. It would be a massive HIPAA violation, it would be a deterrent to seeking care, it would be unnecessary profiling.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)Answer: Per federal law, being adjudicated as mentally incompetent by a court of law, or committed involuntarily to a psychiatric institution.
And how far in the past can the mental issues be for them to be removed from the database?
Generally that is defined in state laws. People have temporary psychotic breaks and may recover spontaneously, or respond well to therapy over a period of years. Here in California someone who has been involuntarily committed is barred from owning a firearm for five years.
A person who has been adjudicated as mentally incompetent can challenge the ruling at any time.
Turbineguy
(37,364 posts)is not to have such a data base, but to simply make sure everybody is armed. Sure, millions will die, but they will be free of tyranny!
AlphaCentauri
(6,460 posts)BigDemVoter
(4,156 posts)And for those young people who want to pursue a career in the military, i.e. Naval Academy, etc, having taken an anti-depressant at any point is a deal breaker.
The problem here is that when somebody may NEED medication, they don't take it, as they don't want to be stigmatized and denied career/educational opportunities.
As far as gun control is concerned, doesn't it only affect those who have been involuntarily hospitalized or identified by a psychiatrist as a threat?
jody
(26,624 posts)All Seeing Eye?