The psychological impact of mass shootings on emergency physician mental health

Mary McDonough; Anne Weisman; Andrew Hanson; Stephen D. Benning

doi:10.5055/jem.0733

Authors

Mary McDonough https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6407-3856
Anne Weisman, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5121-0177
Andrew Hanson, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5078-4435
Stephen D. Benning, PhD https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0955-1592

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.0733

Keywords:

physician mental health, mass shooting, mass casualty, post-traumatic stress

Abstract

On October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the largest mass shooting in US history was committed by a shooter high above the Route 91 Harvest Festival. In light of this tragedy and the increasing incidence and prevalence of mass shootings in America, it is important to examine how exposure to traumatic events (specifically mass shootings) affects the mental health of hospital physicians through the treatment of victims. This study sought to examine how witnessing mass shootings through the treatment of shooting victims psychologically affects physicians. Nine physicians who had direct contact with the victims were interviewed, and the data were analyzed for common themes using phenomenology. From the interviews, five central themes emerged: normalization of the event, denial, feelings of guilt, the positive outcomes associated with the event, and the magnitude of the patient volume. These themes show specifically how physicians are impacted by traumatic events and can be used to implement strategies to promote physician mental health.

Author Biographies

Mary McDonough

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada

Anne Weisman, PhD

Director of Well-Being & Integrative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada

Andrew Hanson, PhD

Dean, Honors College, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada

Stephen D. Benning, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada

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