Disaster Mental Health: Personal Perspective on Mass Shooting Intervention Strategies

Mass shootings in U.S schools have been a perennial issue (Skaine, 2015; Stebnicki, 2016). According to Skaine (2015), between 1982 and 2012 there were a total of 513 persons killed in active shooter incidents. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable following such events, so focus will be given extensive explanations, reassurance and reinforcements to make them feel secure, safe and supported (Stebnicki, 2016). Adult facilitative trauma responses will focus on existential feelings including shock, survivor guilt, grief, sadness and fear (Stebnicki, 2016). From a DMH perspective, strategic implementation may predominantly assume reactive responses (Jacobs, 2016; Kolski, et al., 2014; Skaine, 2015; Stebnicki, 2016). Proactively, community-based programs and legal initiatives have also been instituted in efforts to assist DMH care such as: (a) seeking to reduce the illegal accessibility to guns, (b) developing public safety education and (c) implementing gun buy-back campaigns (Skaine, 2015). In this active shooter situation, the implementation of the eight core actions found in the Psychological First Aid (PFA) Guide will also be a major DMH strategy utilized (National Child Traumatic Stress Network [NCTSN], 2006). DMH care may also be guided by evidenced-based resources and best practices (Stebnicki, 2016). 

Empirical Evidenced-Based Support for Strategies Implemented

Key theoretical foundations aimed at mass shooting prevention include: (a) situational crime prevention (SCP), (b) deterrence theory, (c) rational choice approach and (d) positive school climate (Carter et al., 2023). A study conducted by Peterson et al., (2023) found that 98% of shooting threats originated in public schools, 4.6% were elementary schools, 22.8% were middle schools, 62.5% were high schools. A mental health representative survey conducted among high school students in 2021 found that 37% of high school students reported experiencing poor mental health, 44% reported persistently feeling sad or hopeless and 55% experienced parental emotional abuse (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). The foregoing data highlights the complexity of this phenomenon. A multimodal approach, such as the BASICS model, may be highly recommended to enhance survivor’s coping skills and resiliency (Stebnicki, 2016).

Strategies Personally Observed or Implemented

The key trauma-related issues I have personally treated include: (a) anxiety disorders, (b) depressive disorders, (c) reactive attachment disorder, (d) disinhibited social engagement disorder, (e) posttraumatic stress disorder, (f) acute stress disorder and (g) adjustment disorder (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Therapeutically, my primary trauma interventions of choices are: (a) Cognitive behavior therapy, (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) and Narrative Therapy. Theologically, (I Cor 9:20-22) undergird my empathic approach. The following scripture verse “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (King James Bible, 1769/2008, Eph 4:32) further provides the biblical foundation to my active listening, compassionate, clarifying, verbalizing and validating therapeutic approaches (Stebnicki, 2016).

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.

Carter, S. L., Noble, N., Lee, J., Li, X., Crews, C. (2023). Acceptability of active shooter prevention strategies on college and university campuses. Journal of Prevention, 44:165–179.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, March 31). New CDC data illuminate youth mental

health threats during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-

youth-mental-health-covid-19.html

Jacobs, G. A. (2016). Community-based psychological first aid: A practical guide to helping individuals and communities during difficult times. Woburn, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

King James Bible. (2024). King James Bible Online.

(Origin work published 1769).

Kolski, T. D., Jongsma, A. E. & Myer, R. A. (2014). The crisis counseling and traumatic events treatment planner, with DSM-5 updates. (2nd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Peterson, J., Densley, J., Riedman, D., Spaulding, J., & Malicky, H. (2023). An exploration of K–12 school

shooting threats in the United States. Journal of Threat Assessment and Management.

https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tam0000215.

Skaine, R. (2015). Abuse: An encyclopedia of causes, consequences and treatments. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood.

Stebnicki, M. A. (2016). Disaster mental health counseling: Responding to trauma in a multicultural context. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network National Center for PTSD (2006). Psychological First Aid (2nd ed.). https://www.nctsn.org/resources/psychological-first-aid-pfa-field-operations-guide-2nd-edition.