st. LOUIS — A local health expert has provided guidance for families embarking on an overwhelming task: consulting St. Louis-area students about the aftermath of Monday’s Central Visual and Performing Arts High School shooting. is.
Pediatricians and counselors have advised parents and caregivers to acknowledge their feelings and recognize that they may be affected even if they are not directly related to CVPA.
Dr. T. Eric Spiegel, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, said:
Spiegel advised parents to start by expressing their feelings freely to a partner or other trusted adult. Doing so will help children work through their pain and make plans to talk to them about it. Parents don’t want their child to feel overwhelmed by their distress to the point where they feel unable to express their feelings.
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“As parents, we may not know the extent of its impact until we start talking about it,” said Spiegel, who is also the medical director of inpatient behavioral health services at BJC HealthCare Children’s Hospital. “Then I can say, ‘OK, I sort of took it out of the system, or I’ve taken care of myself.’ You can do it in a way.
For very young children in kindergarten or older, parents may say nothing or say something “very simple,” Spiegel said. For example, you could say that a dangerous person was in high school, people got hurt, and the police and other helpers stopped it.
Ken Haller, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics at St. Louis University School of Medicine and pediatrician at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon, says it’s natural for carers to tend to calm and reassure children, and that’s good. says that it is
“But it’s also important to let children know when we’re scared, when we’re angry, when we’re sad,” Haller said. It may seem that
Haller said it’s “normal, natural and healthy” to feel terrible in times of tragedy.
Haller said some children and adults may feel motivated to take action. For children and parents, that might mean participating in school and gun safety advocacy. For teachers and students, that might mean making cards for those affected by an incident at school.
Some children may be curious and want to know as much information about the shooting as possible, Spiegel said. You are likely to be upset when you learn about , and you may want to explain things that are of no use.
Cardinal Glennon psychologist Debra Emery said parents shouldn’t make any assumptions about their child having or not having heard of the event.
“This information spreads pretty quickly,” says Emery. “Kids are pretty sensitive too. All it takes is a TV somewhere on or intercepting conversations.”
Emery says it’s helpful to ask children and teens questions like: how do you know? How can you stay connected with your friends without knowing too much about these upsetting topics?
“A lot of teens really respect being asked,” Emery said.
Adults can advise children not to learn about these events from social media, where they are likely to encounter misinformation and extreme feelings and opinions.
Parents may also plan to have these discussions earlier, such as at dinner rather than just before bedtime. That way, children can switch to lighter activities later.
Parents should follow their children closely after the incident, looking for signs of depression such as nightmares, changes in eating habits, social isolation and other behavioral changes, experts say.
Children caught in such traumatic situations may complain of physical complaints such as headaches and stomachaches. Some people experience changes in their study habits, such as decreased ability to concentrate. They may have strong reactions to reminders such as loud noises, friends who were present during the incident, or school itself.
School officials in the St. Louis area may strategize how they want to communicate Monday’s events to students. This topic will almost certainly come up naturally in your local classroom. It is a good idea for teachers to give students space to express their feelings and talk about how they feel about being in school.
“Today or tomorrow, it seems like a really good idea to me to take a break from my daily classes in the St. Louis area,” Spiegel said.
If you’re experiencing unusual behavior, such as insomnia or loss of appetite, or someone else is noticing it, it’s a signal to get help.
To speak to a clinician for free, call Behavioral Health Response’s 24/7/365 Crisis Line and Youth Connection Helpline. Call 988, 314-469-6644, or 314-819-8802 (youth). Youth can also chat online. www.bhrstl.com Or send BHEARD to 31658.
