News / Health & Wellness
School Shooting Experience Could Foster PTSD
Survivors of the Ohio school shooting – and incidents like it – are at risk for suffering from PTSD, trauma, depression or anxiety, but treatment is available.
The recent school shooting outside of Cleveland left three students dead, two injured, and a community reeling. But once the dust clears from the initial tragedy, the real work will begin – to help the survivors deal with the trauma in a healthy way.
Students at Chardon High School, particularly those who witnessed the incident or had ties to those involved, will need mental health help to make sure they don’t suffer long-term psychological scars or struggle with ongoing grief or guilt. While they don’t bear any physical injuries, the trauma of the event can linger – affecting them for months or years to come.
The teens, staff, family and friends around this shooting are all at risk for trauma, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression. The most severe, PTSD, is a mental health condition spurred by a terrifying event. The symptoms interfere with daily life and can include flashbacks, anxiety, nightmares, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, and even physical aches and pains.
A certain amount of anxiety and stress following such an event is normal and expected. Students may have trouble sleeping, and seeing news reports and hearing additional accounts of the event can make it harder to heal initially. Students deal with guilt, question why the victims were targeted instead of them, and wonder if there’s something they could have done to prevent the tragedy.
The individual’s support system and his or her ability to cope with stress both play an important role in the ability to heal and move on. Not surprisingly, kids with a history of mental illness or other traumas may struggle more. Girls and younger teens also tend to be at higher risk for developing PTSD after trauma. That’s why it’s important for students, parents and staff to monitor their friends and peers for behavior changes or signs of ongoing stress.
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