Health
Freed American prisoners Gershkovich and Whelan may face ‘disruptive’ trauma, say mental health experts
While Thursday’s release of American prisoners from Russia was marked by celebration and relief, the former captives could face future health challenges, experts say.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and American veteran Paul Whelan were among those released from Russia on Thursday in a large prisoner swap.
A third U.S. citizen, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, was also released.
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A plane carrying the freed Americans landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland late Thursday night, where they were greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The newly released prisoners were then flown to San Antonio, Texas, for evaluation and rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center, a premier military medical facility, according to reports.
Former prisoners Paul Whelan, left, and Evan Gershkovich, right, were released by Russia on Aug. 2, 2024. (Getty Images)
Although the prisoners are safely back on U.S. soil and have been reunited with their families, they may experience mental health challenges stemming from the trauma of detainment, said experts.
“Besides the obvious threats to one’s safety and the horrifying prospect of confinement, a situation like this is fraught with uncertainty,” Dr. Norman Blumenthal, director of the Ohel Zachter Family National Trauma Center in New York, told Fox News Digital.
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“Ambiguity in and of itself induces stress — and that, coupled with their very predicament, can create a marked escalation of trauma.” (None of the experts cited here have treated the released Americans.)
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich greets colleagues at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, following his release as part of a 24-person prisoner swap between Russia and the United States, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. “It’s important that they have the space and privacy they need to process this on their own timeline,” said a mental health expert. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Dr. Karen DeCocker, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner director at Stella Centers in Chicago, noted that being held captive can lead to several types of trauma.
“This varies from person to person based on prior history and the experiences encountered during captivity,” she told Fox News Digital.
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While each person reacts differently to trauma, Blumenthal predicted that the freed prisoners would likely experience an “initial thrill and exhilaration” from their liberation.
“The celebrations and enthusiastic reunions with loved ones can temporarily overshadow the trauma,” he noted.
“Frightening flashbacks and intrusive recollections can become disruptive and destabilizing.”
“As life returns to normal and routines set in, that is often when the frightening flashbacks and intrusive recollections can become disruptive and destabilizing.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, said it is likely the prisoners experienced physical and mental abuse, sleep deprivation, dehydration, malnutrition and possibly infections.
Trauma disorders and symptoms
Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author based in New York City, said that Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva, along with the other released prisoners, may suffer from both acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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ASD is a short-term mental health condition that typically occurs within a month after a traumatic experience, according to Cleveland Clinic’s website.
This image released by the White House shows Evan Gershkovich, left, Alsu Kurmasheva, right, and Paul Whelan, second from right, and others aboard a plane, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, following their release from Russian captivity. (White House via AP)
“Acute stress disorder may include flashbacks, nightmares, intense fear and high anxiety,” Alpert told Fox News Digital.
It can also include feelings of numbness or detachment.
PTSD occurs when such symptoms persist for a month or longer, and the anxiety becomes chronic, according to Alpert.
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PTSD may include many of the same symptoms as ASD, and can impair the person’s ability to function in daily activities.
The freed prisoners may also experience depression, anger and difficulty trusting others, said Alpert.
“The celebrations and enthusiastic reunions with loved ones can temporarily overshadow the trauma.”
“I’ve also seen people have trouble focusing and making decisions in light of a trauma,” he added.
It could also be challenging for the former prisoners to reintegrate into their normal environments and social groups, Alpert said.
Symptoms of trauma are “not universal,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.
One “tried-and-true method” of coping is to retell the events to supportive people who act as listeners, not solvers, according to one expert. (iStock)
“There are differences, and not everyone experiences PTSD,” he said.
“Common symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, depersonalization and derealization, anxiety and depression.”
DeCocker noted that symptoms can be both mental and physical — including the following five points.
1. Dissociation
“Individuals may experience dissociation, where they feel disconnected from their thoughts, feelings or sense of identity,” DeCocker told Fox News Digital.
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“This can manifest as feeling detached from oneself (depersonalization) or from the world around them (derealization).”
2. Survivor’s guilt
Some trauma survivors may feel a sense of guilt for having survived a traumatic experience when others did not, or for putting themselves or others in situations that led to captivity, DeCocker said.
They may also feel guilty about the stress and anxiety that family members and loved ones experienced during their imprisonment.
3. Interpersonal and relationship issues
“Issues with trust, intimacy and personal relationships often occur with survivors and their families,” DeCocker told Fox News Digital.
Former prisoners Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan were on the phone with President Biden on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (The White House)
“The impact of their captivity often comes from their inability to relate the experience to others.”
4. Self-esteem and identity issues
Trauma survivors may experience feelings of shame, worthlessness or confusion about their identity, according to DeCocker.
“In this case, where there was an exchange of prisoners, there may be added complexity,” she said.
5. Cognitive distortions
It’s not uncommon for trauma survivors to have negative beliefs about themselves or the world, according to DeCocker.
“Generalizations about the world being unsafe or out of their control can occur,” she said. “Threats are often seen in everyday experiences.”
Tips for overcoming trauma
Given the high-profile release, Gershkovich and Whelan will likely receive a large amount of media attention, Alpert noted — “but it’s important that they have the space and privacy they need to process this on their own timeline.”
DeCocker agreed, stressing the importance of taking extensive time to heal and recover.
“There is no rush to reintegrate,” she told Fox News Digital. “Time is best devoted toward rest and restoring a sense of balance and normalcy.”
Embracing daily routines and structure can help with that, DeCocker said.
Former prisoner U.S.-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva runs to her daughters as she arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Aug. 1, 2024. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
The freed prisoners may also want to avoid spending too much time on social media and the news in the early days to avoid retriggering discussions and events, she advised.
One “tried-and-true method” of coping is to retell the events to supportive people who act as listeners, not solvers, according to Blumenthal.
“Putting the experience into words can help with healing and adjusting to the more mundane aspects of life and routine,” he said.
“In the case of a severe trauma, such as being held prisoner and wrongly convicted, symptoms may not surface right away.”
If symptoms are interfering with day-to-day functioning, Alpert recommends seeking professional help.
“In the case of a severe trauma, such as being held prisoner and wrongly convicted, symptoms may not surface right away,” he pointed out.
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“It can be helpful to get ahead of it and speak to a specialist.”
All forms of professional help are useful, DeCocker noted. Those include talk therapy, psychiatric support, interventional treatment modalities specific to treating trauma, and physical treatments and therapies to heal the body.
If symptoms are interfering with day-to-day functioning, mental health experts recommend seeking professional help. (iStock)
Other treatments may include cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, and medications such as beta blockers, antidepressants and potentially psychedelics, according to Siegel.
Support from loving family members and friends is also key, the doctor added.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health
Most people do have an “inherent resilience and capacity to hope,” Blumental said.
“These and other freed hostages may, on their own, mobilize and harness strength and heroic reformulations of their recent incarceration to go on and resume normal functioning.”
Scott McDonald of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
Aspirin is widely known for its heart attack prevention benefits, but a new study has also linked the common drug to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.
The study analyzed data from 107,655 men and women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study over a three-decade span. It was published in JAMA Oncology on Thursday.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Washington University School of Medicine found that regular aspirin use was linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer — especially for those with the unhealthiest lifestyles.
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“It shows an association between regular, low-dose aspirin use and decreased colon cancer use (close to 20%) in patients who are already at higher risk for several reasons, including smoking or poor diet,” said Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, who was not involved in the study.
Aspirin has been linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology. (iStock)
Criteria for determining unhealthy lifestyles included higher body mass index, heavy smoking, higher alcohol intake, lack of physical activity and poor nutrition.
“We observed that participants in our study with the least healthy lifestyle had the greatest absolute benefit from aspirin use,” lead study author Daniel Sikavi, M.D., a board-certified physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Fox News Digital.
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“These participants had multiple risk factors that increased their overall risk of developing colorectal cancer, and our results show that aspirin can proportionally lower this markedly elevated risk.”
Among patients with a healthier lifestyle, the benefit from aspirin was still evident, but less pronounced.
Based on the findings, the researchers recommend that health care providers might consider recommending aspirin to patients with a less healthy lifestyle. (AP Photo/Emma H. Tobin)
“In the least healthy group, treating 78 patients with aspirin would prevent one case of colorectal cancer over 10 years, while it would take treating 909 patients to prevent one case in the healthiest group,” added Sikavi.
As to why aspirin decreases colon cancer risk, Siegel said it is likely due to the fact that the medication acts as an anti-inflammatory, and many cancers are associated with increased inflammation.
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Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that health care providers consider recommending aspirin to patients with a less healthy lifestyle.
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and about 46,220 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2024. (iStock)
“This work is an example of how we can move beyond one-size-fits-all strategies for cancer prevention by targeting effective preventive agents, such as aspirin, to the populations that are most likely to benefit,” Sikavi said.
Potential limitations
One limitation of the study was that the researchers did not systematically assess potential side effects associated with aspirin use, Sikavi noted.
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“Because this was an observational study, it is possible there may have been additional factors that influenced our findings, although we rigorously accounted for a number of known risk factors for colorectal cancer,” he said.
Siegel reiterated that because this is an observational study, “it is still not proof.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 106,590 new cases of colon cancer and about 46,220 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in 2024.
Athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics are sleeping on cardboard bed frames for the second summer games in a row.
First introduced at Tokyo 2020, the cardboard beds have made a comeback as an environmentally friendly solution in the Olympic Village, according to reports.
The athletes can extend the beds to accommodate their size and can choose the firmness of the mattress, as shown in a video posted to the Olympics YouTube page.
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The sustainable beds, which are 100% made in France, will be fully recycled after the games, Olympic organizers have said.
Virginia-based neurologist Dr. Chris Winter, a sleep adviser for Mattress Firm and a sleep consultant for major-league sports teams in the U.S., reacted to the sleeping arrangements in an interview with Fox News Digital.
A general view of a cardboard bed used by athletes at the Olympic Village site in Paris. (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
“I was not part of the French Olympic planning, but given the overall theme of the games as being ‘more responsible, more inclusive and more equal,’ I think the cardboard bed checks those boxes,” he said.
“For an Olympic swimmer, weightlifter or gymnast, to awaken with a tweak or catch in their back could be disastrous.”
Winter noted that past Olympic events have been associated with “tremendous amounts of waste.”
The cardboard beds are not only more economical, but also “much easier on the environment,” he said.
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“When the games are over, organizers are not tasked with what to do with thousands of real twin beds,” Winter said. “This creates significant cost savings, I imagine.”
Having the same beds also gives everyone a “performance advantage” when it comes to sleep, the expert noted.
U.S. gymnast Simon Biles yawns as she prepares to perform her uneven bars routine during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on July 30, 2024. At right, one of the cardboard beds is shown. (Getty Images)
“I’m sure the fact that they could more easily break if jumped on or if lots of athletes are on the bed is probably a plus, as an indirect way to control behavior,” he added.
“Plus, if an overzealous athlete throws theirs out the window, damage and risk is minimized.”
Potential health risks
While there are benefits to the cardboard solution, Winter stressed that these structures could pose some health risks for athletes.
“For an Olympic swimmer, weightlifter or gymnast to awaken with a tweak or catch in their back could be disastrous,” he said.
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“Lilly King missed a breaststroke medal by 1/100th of a second,” Winter noted. “Could a cardboard bed be to blame? Without a doubt,” he said, expressing his opinion.
A poor night’s sleep can even affect an athlete psychologically, the expert added.
The cardboard beds — one is shown here, without the bedsheets and covers — can extend longer to accommodate all Olympic athletes. (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Chafen Watkins Hart, M.D., sleep specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, also weighed in on the importance of proper sleep for athletes.
“Getting used to a new environment, including a new bed, is daunting, especially with jet lag and the intensity of athletic competition,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Although the mattresses reportedly have been improved from the ones used in Tokyo, they are still “very firm,” according to Hart.
“In general, it appears that the materials are washable and reusable, which is the primary reason they are being employed for thousands of athletes in the village,” she said.
Ilona Maher of the U.S., at left, is chased by Brazil’s Gabriela Lima, right, during a women’s rugby match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on July 28, 2024. (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)
For some athletes, a mattress that is too firm can cause muscle soreness, she cautioned, while others may prefer firmness.
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Beyond the bed and mattress, Hart also noted that temperature and roommate considerations can also adversely affect athletes’ sleep.
“The rooms do not have air conditioning, and many athletes are supplementing with their own portable units,” she said.
If athletes don’t “feel they are sleeping ‘right,’ the fallout could be bad,” a sleep expert said. (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
“Sleeping in a hot, humid environment can be really disruptive and can increase the number of arousals [during the night] … and severity of insomnia.”
Many athletes may also get a random roommate assignment with someone who has different sleep habits.
“Someone who is a night owl will not love bunking with an early bird,” Hart said.
“Or someone used to sleeping in a silent, dark space may have trouble adjusting to a roommate who likes to play music and keep a light on.”
The mattress for athletes in Paris can be flipped to adjust its firmness, according to the Olympics. (Gao Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images)
For a good night’s sleep, Winter advised athletes to bring their own pillows and attempt to keep the room cool.
He also suggested bringing items that remind them of home, such as a partner’s pillowcase, favorite nighttime tea, stuffed animals, sleep masks or posters.
“Getting that Parisian apartment to feel like home can be a great advantage,” he said.
Hart agreed, adding that familiar scents, calming music and chats with loved ones can help reduce anxiety about sleeping in a strange or uncomfortable place.
Fox News Digital reached out to the International Olympic Committee for comment.
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