How synagogue shooting is affecting people's mental health

PITTSBURGH — Doctors who specialize in trauma talked to Channel 11 on Monday about the impact of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting.

Mental health experts today said children and adults could have internalized different fears and emotions from watching the tragedy play out.

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Those emotions might not come up for a few months and that's why it's important to look for the warning signs and get help when needed.

"It still makes me sad that that’s how these people and it's coming up here," said emergency room nurse Paul Schorr, who helped treat the victims at UPMC Presbyterian.

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In addition to the nurses, doctors and surgeons who mobilized to help, teams of mental health professionals were activated too.

"Our main goal was to be there, to try and support and meet some basic needs," said Jeff Magill, who leads a 45-person team from UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital that provided crisis counseling the day of the shooting and for days after.

Specialized support was also available to children who might need someone to talk to.

"Little kids in particular, if they’re exposed to a lot of media attention, media exposure, will think the event is happening again and again and again," said Kim Blair, with the Early Trauma Treatment Center.  "They won’t understand that it happens once and that the media is showing it again and again and again."

Blair says most children will return to their normal selves in four to six weeks, but some will remain anxious or worried, and that’s the time to get some help.

Cox Media Group