Mental Disorders

Examine the criminal case from the e-activity and identify the type of mental disorder of the person(s) involved and the key characteristics associated with it

On 20^th July 2012, James Eagan Holmes stormed a movie theatre during the premiere of Batman and killed 12 people while injuring 70 others. When brought to trial, Holmes claimed insanity, but the prosecution worked hard to prove that he was sane when he committed the mass murder. According to reports, Holmes was frustrated in his career and his love life and felt that the only way he would feel good about himself would be to kill many people. He planned to kill many more people and had a magazine on his AR-15 assault rifle, not jammed. However, reports from 20 doctors confirmed that Holmes had schizophrenia, a mental disorder primarily characterized by hallucinations and delusions. The condition is also the most common among serial killers. In Holme’s case, social interventions such as psychotherapy and social skills training could have helped him avoid getting to that dangerous point. These interventions help victims of the condition know how to deal with stress, avoid situations that stress them, and interact with others in society. For example, if Holmes had been under psychotherapy sessions, he would have dealt better with his stress instead of killing people. He would have probably used a punching bag to relieve his stress and thus save the lives he took that day. Other methods including joining a support group for people with schizophrenia, would have helped him know that there were others like him who were going through the same issues (Gurman, 2015). As the saying goes, a problem shared is half shared.

References

Gurman, Sadie (2015). “2 accounts of an unstable mind: ‘Batman’ shooting trial begins with a look inside Holmes’ mind.” News Article. Document. <https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/04/27/long-odds-for-insanity-defense-in-theater-shooting-trial>.

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Mental Disorders

Please respond to the following:

Mental Disorders

• Examine the criminal case from the e-activity and identify the type of mental disorder of the person(s) involved and the key characteristics associated with it. Next, suggest ways in which social or psychiatric support could have helped the defendant before committing the criminal act. Justify your response.

E-ACTIVITY

Use the Internet to identify a criminal case associated with a mental disorder. Be prepared to discuss.