Ever since the most recent school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, people have been wanting stricter laws on gun control.  An area that has recently been brought to the forefront is mental health.

US Senator Charles Grassley believes that mental health is the bigger issue rather than stricter laws on gun purchases.

“We’ve got to have more emphasis upon identifying people with mental health problems that shouldn’t have guns.  Now that’s already a partial law in the sense that if it’s determined by a court, then it’s in the database.”

Dr. David Ohrt, a licensed mental health counselor in Jefferson, points out that a big mental health issue in Iowa is the lack of resources for those seeking mental health support.

“There’s a tremendous shortage of psychiatrists, the mental health professionals who prescribe meds to deal with severe mental health issues.  And the other issue is the lacking of funding for those kinds of cares.”

Dr. Ohrt cautions using mental health evaluations as part of a background check for gun purchases because it creates the impression that all people with mental health issues are violent and dangerous.  He believes it’s pretty subjective.  He expresses that due to the recent school shootings, a negative image has been portrayed that schools are unsafe when in actuality, Ohrt believes schools are the safest place for children.

“Most of the violence done to kids are done in their own families and their own homes.  And the odds of a person’s child being shot in school is like one in three million.  But the odds of them being struck by lightning is one in one million.”

The debate over gun control laws and mental health concerns will continue to be at the forefront until solutions can be established.