28/11/2011 16:32
sltrib.com
By heather may
‘Bad things can happen to kids’ — more
Utah kids struggle with PTSD
The Salt Lake Tribune
Children’s Medical Center therapy program — many
of whom have private insurance —have PTSD.
First published Nov 26 2011 11:09PM
Updated Nov 26, 2011 11:32PM
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problems spell trouble for Jessica McGrath.
It is not known why so many children are suffering.
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children, the numbers could be higher.
Story continues below
Sitting at her kitchen table, the 17-year-old frequently closes her eyes to the work of capitalizing proper
names. The words won’t sit still on the page. She
says parts of her brain feel “paralyzed,” and she
covers her face with her hand.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52647510-78/ptsd-jessica-says-trauma.html.csp
Then she pulls out a pocketknife to cut a prescribed
pill that will help her focus. Talking about the blade,
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monotonous voice.
The weapon gives her a tangible sense of control,
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anger and bouts of helplessness, when she can’t
sleep or has nightmares reliving her peers yelling,
“Kill her!”
McGrath is not a returning veteran or a refugee
from war. But she has post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
So do nearly 11 percent of the children in Utah’s
public mental-health system, or about 1,700 kids
and teens, according to data requested by The Salt
Lake Tribune.
In Salt Lake County’s system, more children were
diagnosed with PTSD last year than much betterknown autism spectrum disorders. And one third
of the 250 to 300 abused children seen in Primary
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PTSD can be triggered when a child endures physical, sexual and emotional abuse or neglect, or witnesses violence. The unexpected death of a loved
one, dog bites and serious illnesses also can cause
prolonged distress.
“People don’t understand how much trauma is going
on,” says Douglas Goldsmith, executive director of
The Children’s Center in Salt Lake City and Kearns,
which provides mental health care to children up
to age 8. “We really, really don’t want to believe that
bad things can happen to kids.”
But even as their ranks are growing, children now
have better therapies to help them recover. In short,
they need to tell their stories.
—
Persistent memories of pain » As a plump eighthgrader, Jessica heard classmates “moo” at her and
shout slurs about her dark skin in the halls of West
Jordan Middle School, she says.
The bullying culminated on a Wednesday in May
2008, when a girl, whom Jessica would later tell
police had been “tormenting” her for weeks, got off
at the same bus stop. Up to 30 students followed to
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28/11/2011 16:32
sltrib.com
‘Bad things can happen to kids’ — more Utah kids struggle with PTSD
Ȋ(YHU\RQHȇVDURXQGXVDQGVKHMXVWVWDUWHGSRXQGLQJP\KHDG,GRQȇWUHDOO\UHPHPEHUWKHȴJKW
after that,” Jessica recalled recently.
A police report says someone in the crowd videoWDSHGWKHȴJKWDQGWKHFURZG\HOOLQJȊNLOOKHUȋDQG
“kick her ass.” The Fire Department was called to
treat Jessica; the other girl was unharmed. Jessica
was eventually diagnosed with nystagmus, a brain
injury that causes her eyes to dance around, her
family says.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52647510-78/ptsd-jessica-says-trauma.html.csp
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