Yes, but I think we can all agree that murdering your own children and then committing suicide indicates a significant lack of mental stability. A lack of documented history doesn't mean there weren't issues. If anything, it demonstrates how poor we are at identifying people who are on their way to a tragic end.
"Also while I am all for mental health there is no evidence that our current style of encouraging nutty behavior and medicating is healing anybody."
Oh I definitely agree, and that was really my point. We've all but completely stopped trying to provide any real identification of mental health issues and sustainable treatment. This is a major driver with homelessness, drug abuse, domestic abuse, etc. Our side brings this up every time there's a mass shooting, but nobody actually DOES anything about it.
I don’t mean to be argumentative but to come alongside - I genuinely don’t see a solution.
Suppose this woman lived next door to me. I see totally normal behavior until the very end - then I see her go pick up her kids with a red stripe across her face - exactly what would I do? She could have picked up an obscure religion, or be playing a joke, or being involved in some sort of costume play with the kids - I’d do and say absolutely nothing. Are we to call the Authorities or schedule long deep talks every time we see something unusual? Absolutely impossible.
And the mentally ill don’t normally cooperate! They if anything will insist they are fine. They think you are the crazy one!! Very rare to accept help.
And then what is help? A weekly session with a usually ineffective psych? Medication?
I am trying to say the society is not bad about dealing with mental health. I am saying there is very little we can do.
Once someone shows repeated, observable, documented lack of touch with reality, I favor forced conservatorships, with yearly reviews by disinterested parties, and curtailment of civil liberties to the point where they have no control over unaware others (children, dependents, no driving, etc) but that would never fly in our current political environment.
Yes there is potential for abuse and I’d build in safeguards like ombudsman. But what is the alternative? These folks routinely harm themselves and often harm others. I had a problem with a man in the bus the other day. I managed to soothe him but he was delusional and IMO dangerous.
My great idea for conservatorships still would not have helped in this situation though. No one except maybe her husband had any idea there was a problem and he obviously didn’t think it was anywhere near this level.
Which leaves me where I was - it’s not the fault of our health system that this happens. Some things actually cannot be stopped. Which is a horrible thing to admit.