In “It’s hard to explain (and fix) evil,” Katelyn Jetelina provided a clear and thoughtful discussion about the relationships between “mental illness” and mass shootings. Here are the first two paragraphs of her post:

In the aftermath of mass violence and the furor of the 24-hour news cycle, the words “mental illness” are often used to try to explain a perpetrator’s actions. In many cases, the assumption that mental illness had to be involved in these incidents drives the public debate about solutions.

This kind of coverage might raise awareness of how important mental health care is, but it is ultimately problematic because … too often it spreads inaccurate definitions of “mental illness,” it imposes further stigma on those who suffer from mental health conditions, and the limited scope solutions proposed will not achieve the intended results—to reduce mass shootings.

Highly recommended reading.