I have a serious question for non Americans. Other countries have people with mental health issues. What they don’t have is guns. What do people do in other countries do when they are evil, mentally ill etc? Like what do they do with their rage? Do they just say screw it I don’t have a gun so I will just do nothing? Do they torture animals? I want to really understand what makes people in other countries not act out like they do here
In the U.K. people have to apply for a firearms licence annually. The form has to be counter signed by a ‘professional’ to confirm mental health status. If the holder fails to reapply on the one year anniversary, the police will confiscate the weapons. There are also strict rules regarding how/where the weapons are kept.
Although we have the NHS, psychiatric services are seriously overwhelmed, particularly adolescent services post lockdown. However, we have a very ‘pro active’ Mental Health Act and it is not that difficult to ‘section’ someone who is considered mentally ill, needing inpatient treatment and a danger to themselves or others. Sadly, people found on the streets suffering a mental health breakdown are often initially taken to police stations and held in cells (usually Perspex ones, so that they can receive extra monitoring), until a psychiatric bed becomes available.
However, because of the NHS, treatment for mental illness, whether in or outpatient, including oral medication, injections, counselling, therapies etc., are all free. I think it’s the combination of this and our strict firearms laws that work .
That said, there are of course cases, where mentally ill people ‘slip through the net’ and harm others using other weapons, knives etc. Indeed, in Wales, anyone arrested for a serious crime, such as, murder, rape, grievous bodily harm etc., is initially treated as vulnerable and mentally ill, and given the assistance of an appropriate adult and solicitor during police interview and if necessary seen by a doctor based at the police station.