Aftermath of the Parkland Shooting: A Case Report of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in an Adolescent Survivor

The Journal of Child and Family Studies states that there have been more mass shootings within the last 18 years than in the entire 20th century combined, with 77% carried out by adolescents. This case study aims to evaluate the clinical presentation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in an adolescent by highlighting the clinical course of a school shooting survivor. Here, we present the case of a 15-year-old female who presented to the emergency department (ED) of the University Hospital Medical Center (UHMC) under the Baker Act by the police for self-injury and self-harm. She had been admitted three times to the psychiatric hospital, all following the trauma of surviving the shooting. She met the criteria for PTSD and was triggered by graphics in the news outlets and social media. As clinicians working with PTSD adolescents, we must be cognizant of these factors as we think about prognosis and create a comprehensive treatment plan. This case study brings to our attention how complex and multifaceted PTSD patients can be in this day and age where social media, news outlets, and television are so pervasive. Three clinical pearls to take home from this patient encounter are: understanding the importance of news and media in modern-day PTSD diagnosis, how certain avoidance behaviors can delay remission, and how uncontrolled re-exposure can lead to poorer outcomes in children and adolescents specifically. It is no longer a rare occurrence to have a patient who has survived a mass school shooting. As a result of this unfortunate reality, clinicians need to be able to recognize and treat symptoms of PTSD in adolescent patients. We must be equipped to expect the interplay of modern triggers such as social media and news media and how it may affect adolescent patients.