Actress Rachel Griffiths believes more needs
to be done about mental health. Picture: Supplied Source:
Supplied
Fiona Byrne, The Daily Telegraph, reports
Oscar-nominated Australian actress Rachel Griffiths believes mental
health issues need to be focused on as much as gun control legislation in the
aftermath of The Dark Knight Rises massacre in Colorado.
Griffiths, who
has spent much of the past decade based in the US working on TV series such as Six
Feet Under and Brothers and Sisters, told 774 ABC morning host Jon
Faine she did not believe the situation of young men "tripping over"
and becoming a danger to others was isolated to America.
"I think
so much of the (US) gun lobby issue is so based in a constitutional
fundamentalism I don't think Australians can ever grasp," Griffiths told
Faine today.
"But I
think what we have in common is we have young men that reach a certain critical
point were they become a harm to themselves or others, and I don't think that
happens more or less here than it does in the States.
"I just
wanted to bring the discussion around to how do we identify these young men,
that on this verge of tripping over and how do we as families and societies get
them the help they need.
"........
If it is your brother, or your cousin, or your son, I think we have to do more
to intervene and make sure that they see mental health professionals.
"Clearly
this boy over some time has been moving away from people and going through some
kind of depression and moving to a point where people observe some things but
did not feel that they could interfere and say, 'Are you OK?'"
James Holmes,
24, allegedly opened fire during a packed midnight screening of The Dark
Knight Rises in the Denver suburb of Aurora on Friday, killing 12 people
and wounding 58 others.
If you, or
someone you know suffers from mental health contact Lifeline 13 11 14, beyondblue
1300 22 46 36, or Salvo Care Line 1300 36 36 22.
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