Experts fear new New York gun law might hinder therapy for mentally ill
Mental health experts say a new tougher New York state gun control law might interfere with treatment of potentially dangerous people and even discourage them from seeking help.
The law would require therapists, doctors, nurses and social workers to tell government authorities if they believe a patient is likely to harm himself or others. That could lead to revoking the patient’s gun permit and seizing any guns.
In interviews Tuesday, one expert called the new law meaningless and said he expects mental health providers to ignore it, while others said they worry about its impact on patients. …
“The people who arguably most need to be in treatment and most need to feel free to talk about these disturbing impulses, may be the ones we make least likely to do so,” said the director of law, ethics and psychiatry at Columbia. “They will either simply not come, or not report the thoughts that they have.”
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Oh well, everyone must sacrifice for Cuomo’s presidential plans.
Bishop on January 16, 2013 at 9:02 AM
Why do mental health experts hate children?
Flange on January 16, 2013 at 9:02 AM
Too late now.
Legislate in haste, repent at leisure.
Good Lt on January 16, 2013 at 9:06 AM
Cuomo had to do something, you see.
mwbri on January 16, 2013 at 9:14 AM
But we had to do something!!!!111!1!1!!!
/Reactionary leftist caucus
Lance Murdock on January 16, 2013 at 9:15 AM
Reminds me of a classic movie line: I might be crazy, but I ain’t stupid!
OldEnglish on January 16, 2013 at 9:15 AM
The fact that Cuomo thinks that this helps his presidential plans suggests that he isn’t a very astute politician. Don’t think that the lovely little soundbite of him talking about gun confiscation won’t get played on an endless loop in all the swing states throughout September and October 2016.
Illinidiva on January 16, 2013 at 9:23 AM
Given the lawsuit against the Aurora shooter’s shrink, I can’t imagine mental health providers will ignore this law.
Fewer people will seek help. We’re setting precedents for health-care providers and mandatory sharing of health information.
byepartisan on January 16, 2013 at 9:29 AM
Why does he think gun control is his golden ticket to the WH? If his new laws don’t curb gun violence or it increases I would think it would be the end of any WH dreams. It seems like a big risk to me.
Dr. Frank Enstine on January 16, 2013 at 9:41 AM
antipc on January 16, 2013 at 9:41 AM
That’s exactly what I’ve been saying. It might help him in the primary with the moonbats, but it’ll kill him in the general.
I see another problem with the mental health aspect of this law. How can the state simply come in and remove private property (constitutionally protected) simply on the say of a mental health professional? It just seems to me that you’d need to have a a court hearing to remove a persons guns, otherwise you may have some serious due process issues.
Add into that the fact that this provision could be abused by a zealous anti-gun health professional and you’ve got a really bad law.
PetecminMd on January 16, 2013 at 9:44 AM
Business as usual. Laws pushed – in haste or otherwise – by liberals actually have the opposite “intended” effect.
But the actual results don’t matter because Cuomo cares.
gwelf on January 16, 2013 at 9:46 AM
Oh well – let it burn (and bleed).
Pork-Chop on January 16, 2013 at 9:57 AM
Legislate in haste,
repentblame Republicans at leisure.FIFY
2ndMAW68 on January 16, 2013 at 9:58 AM
There are lots of other ways to kill yourself. Why limit confiscations to guns? For that matter, a therapist told me that simply lying quietly in bed day after day while starving yourself to death is as reliable and painless a method as any. So should you prepare to be dragged to a hospital and force fed? Probably not – the law is more anti-gun than pro-life.
Seth Halpern on January 16, 2013 at 10:01 AM
In the progressive haste to create the ultimate utopia, once again a rush to create laws with NO thought concerning “consequences”.
katy on January 16, 2013 at 10:10 AM
Unintended consequences.
It’s always been problematic whether to confide in professionals for one’s mental health issues. This just makes it harder. The patient needs to know what they say will be kept in confidence, otherwise they won’t seek help.
If One Child’s Life Can Be Saved, We Must Take Action!!
Maintain patient confidentiality! Do it now.
Eleventy!!111!!!1!!!111
Paul-Cincy on January 16, 2013 at 10:15 AM
I’m sure the top men in NY carefully considered that before passing this important new suite of laws. Your fears are truly silly and you are just getting people needlessly excited.
roy_batty on January 16, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Gun controllers versus euthanasiacs: Wedge issue?
Seth Halpern on January 16, 2013 at 10:28 AM
Hmmm… what’s the point of having question 11.f on form 4473, if the mental health care providers aren’t reporting people?
Seung-Hui Cho, anybody?
Hill60 on January 16, 2013 at 10:44 AM
Of course it will, just as 0care has. But then that is not what all this is about.
Bmore on January 16, 2013 at 10:53 AM
Say, you bishoped.
Bmore on January 16, 2013 at 10:54 AM
Bloomberg and Cuomo hardest hit.
The Rogue Tomato on January 16, 2013 at 11:00 AM
If only it were so. Unfortunately, Republicans are too stupid to do something that might actually be effective such as your recommendation.
stvnscott on January 16, 2013 at 11:11 AM
Just what NY needs – more mentally ill people who don’t get treatment. Guess Cuomo would rather they push commuters in front of trains.
katiejane on January 16, 2013 at 11:15 AM