Question

Workshop 5

Background: In December 2017, 9-year old Jack and his mother (Harriet) were visiting their extended family in Melbourne. They were shopping in the city on 21 December when a driver drove his car into pedestrians at the corner of Flinders and Elizabeth streets. Jack and his mum witnessed this event (in which 18 people were injured, with an elderly man subsequently dying from his injuries). They were not in harm’s way (with the car travelling away from them and the driver quickly apprehended. However, Jack and his mum had multiple conversations about how they each thought they could have been killed during the attack. Two days later, Jack and his mum returned to their home in Brisbane.

Jack lives in an intact family consisting of his biological parents, Harriet and Peter, and his older sister Natalie. He is in Grade 4 at the local primary school and has lots of friends. He is also close to his parents and his grandparents (who are involved in his care during the week).

Immediately following his return home, Jack experienced nightmares on a few occasions about cars driving towards him. After the first nightmare, Jack’s dad (who has a history of anxiety and depression) encouraged Jack to sleep in the parents’ bedroom on a camp mattress. Despite mum’s suggestion that it is time for Jack to move back to his own bedroom, he is still sleeping in his parents’ room. Jack’s mum and dad have had many arguments about this situation. Peter’s (dad) perspective is that:

·       Jack is a very sensitive child who (even as a newborn baby) is more easily upset than other children;

·       Jack has been exposed to a traumatic experience in which he could have been killed;

·       Loving support (including avoidance of going into Brisbane city) is required to prevent Jack from developing ongoing mental health problems following this exposure; and

·       He (dad) could not cope if he lost one of his children.

From Harriet’s (mum) perspective:

·       The experience was upsetting but she and Jack were not hurt and were never likely to have been hurt (as she has discussed with Jack);

·       Peter (dad) needs to talk about the attack less; and

·       Jack is a healthy boy who seems to be handling the experience well.

Question: How likely do you think it is that Jack might develop a diagnosable mental health problem following his exposure to the attack in Melbourne? [Note, you are not being asked to identify possible mental health problems]. Identify 8 factors (a mixture of risk and protective factors – does not need to be 4 of each; but rather 8 in total) to justify your answer, and explain why each is either  a risk or a protective factor.

Answer 1

In this situation, a 9-year-old witnessed an accident which might have taken his life and he might not be able to live or lose his parents. The incident was a disastrous one leading to serious injuries of 18 people, and death of an old person.

Such incidents happen once in life and can have a negative impact on the brain for the lifetime, some people see a lot of nightmares even after ten to twenty years, such incidences can't be erased easily, yet they can only be ignored for a small duration in life.

Jack might develop a diagnosable mental health problem because of thus cases as :

Jack's father also was patient of continuous depression and mental illness, it might inherit in the child. This may also happen with the child and may inherit in him.

Exposure to such situations may have a mental trauma on the brain and some serious effect on it.

The child needs constant love and support.

The children around him have not experienced the same thing around, so he might feel differently.

The child is in small age, at this age, some incidences are so frozen in memory that they cannot go away.

He could have lost his entire family, this is really putting and influential.

He might not be able to see them again

This all can have a serious impact on him. therefore, he needs to be in constant consideration.