For drug abuse certainly a solid family structure helps. I would say it is far from a guarantee but it is a good bet that raising kids well in a good family will help them avoid becoming drug abusers. The opioid epidemic seems to have made an exception to this though.
PTSD I think much less so. A solid family structure isn't going to do as much to insulate from the trauma of war.
My brother (adopted but still call him brother) receives some government support. Not as personalized as my father can provide though. When he lived in a group home he had a little bit more of a support network through the group home system than if he were on his own. Not everyone has a support system though and not always through any fault of their own so I think the government has to play some role.
A lot of these guys don't want to take their meds, it has side effects that make them feel terrible in various ways. So even if we release them back into society with a lifetime supply of meds and a support system if they don't take their meds their mental health issues are going to come right back. I don't know what percentage need to be confined in a mental hospital but there are a certain amount where counseling and drug supplies just don't seem to be able to solve the problem. I don't know whether this guy was one of them but it sure seems that way. Don't know if he had a support system or if he didn't.
A lot of society's ills can be traced back to problems in the family though, I don't know if thats the case for this guy.
Do you know if the opioid epidemic would have started if everyone had a stable and supportive family? Supportive families are not a given in wealthier, more upper and middle class homes. Let's talk Hunter Biden, if you need an example of how a nuclear family doesn't just mean mommy and daddy are married.
PTSD may not be cured by family, but learning to cope and deal with it, and having someone there when needed, makes all the difference.
I've probably had PTSD to some degree, and I can say the feeling of not being able to control how you feel is more frightening than the direct symptoms of it. Having someone near you to make you feel safe during these times is a massive step toward living with it and eventually getting over it.
You are the one who likes to talk in broad generalities, which is why this conversation veered into this direction.
Nobody knows what the specifics are with the attacker's life, family, mental illness or treatment. That goes without saying .... so you had to say it.
There are few cures for mental illness, but there are ways to safely and productively live with it. When people with these problems are released from jail, there should be someone to assist them so they find their way to a pharmacy, family member's home, hospital -- whatever it takes to make sure they aren't just free to roam the streets when we know that's a bad "solution."
All these people screaming that Cops need more training to deal with the mentally ill people they encounter, or that social services professionals ride along with Cops to deal with those cases. Maybe we need mandatory mental illness screening in all jails and prisons, and anyone identified must have specific support actions taken while incarcerated, when in court and upon release. If we can't care for them BEFORE they commit a crime, maybe we should make an effort to care for them afterward so they are less likely to do it again.