Aviation attitudes guarantee bankruptcy

MEDIA RELEASE
April 28, 2009
Aviation attitudes guarantee bankruptcy

The Mental Health Foundation is outraged at claims made in an aviation security review that suggest people with experience of mental illness are a greater threat to passenger safety than terrorists.

The review, prompted by an alleged hijacking of a Blenheim-Christchurch domestic flight in 2008, further reinforces negative and damaging stereotypes about mental illness, the Foundation believes.

“Research has shown that the vast majority of people with mental illness are no more likely than anyone else to become violent,” says Judi Clements, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation. “Terrorists are by definition engaged in the business of wilful destruction and harm to other human beings. It’s an insulting comparison.”

The Foundation says the threat assessment shows ignorance about mental illness and the number of New Zealanders affected by it.

“Mental illness is a part of the human condition. With 47% of New Zealanders experiencing a form of mental illness at some time during their life, you could end up with a lot of empty planes if security measures were to be tightened up on this basis.”

The strongest risk factors for violence are not attributable to mental illness or substance abuse – they are having a past history of violence and threatening to commit acts of violence in the future. “Terrorists would seem to fit this category pretty well,” Clements comments.

In recent research for the Ministry of Health’s Like Minds, Like Mine programme, in which the Foundation is a partner, 89% of New Zealanders surveyed agreed that they wanted to be as supportive as possible to people with mental illness.

“We believe most New Zealanders would agree that people with experience of mental illness are not a threat to airline safety. Most people have a friend or family member with experience of mental illness, or have some experience of it themselves,” Judi Clements concludes.

“In our rush to protect public safety, we should be mindful that we aren’t further stigmatising groups in the population – like those with experience of mental illness – who do not deserve it.”

ENDS

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