People with mental illness don鈥檛 deserve to be associated with fascist mass killer Anders Breivik
Anders Behring Breivik is sane. The verdict pleased the man responsible for the deadliest attack in Norwegian history 鈥� but it is also good news for the fight against misconceptions of mental health.
On 22 July 2011, Breivik killed 77 people and wounded 242 others. He said his actions were a protest against a left-wing government that was destroying Norway by promoting multiculturalism.
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Many claimed the killings made sense only if Breivik was insane 鈥� indeed, an initial psychiatric report diagnosed him as having paranoid schizophrenia. But that highlights misconceptions about mental health, says of the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, an editor of .
鈥淧eople imply that mental-health patients are capable of these acts,鈥� says Tietze. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 deserve to be associated with a fascist mass killer.鈥�
Many of Breivik鈥檚 statements fit with the views of the extreme right. 鈥淲e have to name his ideas for what they are,鈥� says Tietze.
