Va. Tech shooting

[H2Andy]

"I think Cho had a Social Phobia and a Schizoid Personality Disorder (DSM IV-TR 301.20) that was premorbid for either Schizophrenia Paranoid Type, or Mood Disorder with Psychotic Features (psychotic = murderous), the primary DX before the violence.

what does "premorbid" mean?

 

[H2Andy]

interesting:

A judge's ruling on Cho Seung-Hui's mental health should have barred him from purchasing the handguns he used in the Virginia Tech massacre, according to federal regulations. But it was unclear Thursday whether anybody had an obligation to inform federal authorities about Cho's mental status because of loopholes in the law that governs background checks.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting_weapons_5

 

[OH-JJ]

interesting:

A judge's ruling on Cho Seung-Hui's mental health should have barred him from purchasing the handguns he used in the Virginia Tech massacre, according to federal regulations. But it was unclear Thursday whether anybody had an obligation to inform federal authorities about Cho's mental status because of loopholes in the law that governs background checks.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070420/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting_weapons_5

This is because due to the Federal HIPPA Laws you cannot disclose that anyone has a mental illness, unless they have gone through the court system thus making it public record.

While it is Illegal for a Mentally Ill person to purchase or possess a firearm, it is soully dependent upon the Buyer to be honest that they are in fact not mentally ill, unless they have gone through the court system and the courts have ruled them mentally ill.

This has Nothing to do with Either side of the Gun control issue, but instead is due to medical Privacy concerns.

 

[H2Andy]

but hadn't the state judge adjudicated that he was a danger to himself?

i was under the impression that was enough, but that it wasn't reported to the Feds

 

[OH-JJ]

but hadn't the state judge adjudicated that he was a danger to himself?

i was under the impression that was enough, but that it wasn't reported to the Feds

It depends on the Judge's ruling. Since IANAL, and I don't remember the exact shades of grey that they define, I cannot say. I can however say that this was one area that the NRA and the Brady Campaign both agreed upon. i.e. that this was screwed up. Of course then they both diverged into there own corners, with the NRA concerned that anyone seeing any kind of counseling would be disqualified and the Other side wanting anyone with even basic depression to be DQ'd.

 

[H2Andy]

thanks ... quite a loophole

 

[Cacia]

whether anybody had an obligation to inform federal authorities

...was he a minor when this happened, perhaps? cause that could explain it

How is schizoid related to shizophrenia, or different?

(psychotic = murderous),

can you explain that? I thought psychoses just meant that you had a break from reality, as opposed to a neurosis, thus the classification.

He seemed a lot like Charles Manson, in his ravings, to me...what was his Dx, I wonder?

 

[tc]

I know in California being placed in an institution on a 72 hour psych hold by a law enforcement officer or doctor was supposed to bar the person from buying a weapon (statutory law) but case law on this requires that a separate court hearing be held to revoke that right- If I recall the reasoning in the ruling it was because they had to be given a chance to defend themselves in court before the right could be revoked.

I know they don't automatically have the hearing unless requested. And it's frequently not requested unless there has been violence involved.

No idea if it's the same in Virgina.

 

[lamont]

...was he a minor when this happened, perhaps? cause that could explain it

How is schizoid related to shizophrenia, or different?

wikipedia:

Schizoid personality disorder and schizophrenia

There is also disagreement about the relationship between SPD and schizophrenia. Some argue that the two conditions are entirely unrelated except by the origin of the word meaning "split", in the case of SPD it is the individual that can behave in two different ways, but because other personality disorders have the same split behaviour, the word 'schizoid' should be changed according to some psychiatrists. While Kalus[6] believes that schizoids exhibit the negative symptoms that are associated with the schizophrenia, and that SPD may, in rare cases, be an indicator of the onset of the more serious disease. There is a wider consensus to link schizotypal personality disorder with schizophrenia.

can you explain that? I thought psychoses just meant that you had a break from reality, as opposed to a neurosis, thus the classification.

schizoid is probably more what you would think of as neurotic, schizophrenia is more psychotic.

 

[Blitz]

Schizoid is a person that typically has a limited range of emotions. What is known as a flat affective.

Schizophrenia is more along the lines of breaking with reality and experiencing psychotic episodes or halucinations.