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Stabbings of children in southern Californa linked to mental disorders
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In the past two days neighbors, family, friends and the general public have been horrified by the stabbing of children by their parents in southern California.
In Westminster, CA a young mother (Thuy Le) stabbed her two small children and then stabbed herself. One child required surgery and is being kept in a medically induced coma to promote healing. The other child and the mother did not sustain life threatening injuries.
The audio broadcast of the 911 call placed by the mother was extremely disturbing, especially when at one point the mother’s voice changes and appears to be calm and disassociated from the events.
In Thousand Oaks, CA a father (James Mulvaney) is alleged to have stabbed his two children in his apartment and then taking his own life with an overdose of medication. An autopsy is pending. His ex-wife came to the apartment to pick up her children and discovered the deaths. Neighbors heard her blood curdling screams and one had to assist her in talking to the 911 dispatcher.
The deputy in charge of the investigation commented that the chaplain called to the scene to help the distraught mother deal with the deaths of her children also had to help the first responders cope with what they had seen in the crime scene. It was described as one of the worst crime scenes imaginable.
Mental illness such as depression has been indicated in both tragic events. The mother from Orange County is suspected of being depressed and perhaps having other underlying mental disorders. The father in Thousand Oaks was thought to be depressed from a recent job loss and a custody issue from a divorce last year.
The toll these events have taken on the lives of others will involve among other things, depression from grief and loss as well as post traumatic stress disorder for those directly involved in both cases.
Could either of these tragic events have been prevented? Did anyone suspect these two parents to be suicidal? Perhaps, and hindsight will possibly haunt those who are closest to the situation. They should be counseled and treated.
Mental illness often comes to a head in a psychotic event before an initial diagnosis is ever made. These events are not always violent, but can be disruptive and may need intervention from the police.
It is almost always a frightening experience and denial can be the first response from not only the consumer, but the family support system as well. The stigmas of mental illness serves to support this denial and all too often prevents or delays diagnosis and treatment.
Working together to fight the stigma of mental illness can only serve to help save lives. Understanding that mental illness has been demonstrated to be the result of changes in the brain to stimuli either physical or emotional and not a behavior that can be stopped or changed is just the first step towards that end.
Video from The Ventura County Star
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