Health
Trump assassination attempt could have widespread mental health impact, experts say: ‘Vicarious trauma’
The attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13, sent shock waves throughout America, affecting both public figures and private citizens alike.
For the people who witnessed the evil act — whether they were in attendance at the Pennsylvania rally or watching the incident from their homes — such violence can have significant mental and emotional repercussions, experts say.
Fox News Digital spoke with two mental health professionals about how the attack — which left one man dead and three injured, including the former president — can have a widespread psychological impact.
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Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author based in New York City, said that for the rally attendees, the reaction was likely one of shock and fear.
“In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, there may have been confusion and intense anxiety,” he told Fox News Digital.
People watch the Fox News Channel in front of the Fox News building in Manhattan after the former President Donald Trump was injured during the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The suspected shooter was killed and another rally attendee was dead. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Attendees may also experience a post-traumatic stress response at some point, which includes acute stress reactions, nightmares and heightened arousal in response to stimuli that reminds them of the event.”
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In some cases, everyday noises that resemble the popping sound of the gunfire at the event could cause fear and anxiety, Alpert said.
Violent acts against public figures can significantly impact our collective psyche.
Dr. Zachary Ginder, a psychologist and founder of Pine Siskin Consulting in Riverside, California, shared similar predictions.
“Regardless of party affiliation, violent acts against public figures can significantly impact our collective psyche and lead to feelings of uncertainty, stress and anxiety,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Specifically, they challenge our sense of social order, control, trust, safety and security.”
Members of the crowd duck under chairs after former President Donald Trump is assisted offstage during a campaign rally on Saturday, July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
These events can even dramatically shift a person’s world view, Ginder noted.
“When a prominent individual becomes a target, it can make us feel that no one is truly safe, leading to increased anxiety and hypervigilance,” he said.
In more severe cases, such an event can lead to difficulty concentrating or sleeping, plus heightened irritability, anger, outbursts or paranoia, according to Ginder.
“In addition, these incidents can trigger a form of vicarious trauma,” the expert said.
“Even for those not directly involved, engaging in the constant media cycle and political pundit discussions can lead to emotional distress, physical concerns and feelings of helplessness.”
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Another potential effect of a tragic event like Saturday’s shooting is amplified social and political tensions and even deeper divisions between groups, according to Ginder.
“As we try to make sense of acts of violence, human nature is to lean into existing networks and limit opportunities for dialogue, especially while one redefines how they see the world post-incident,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Humans naturally retreat to factions of comfort — but unfortunately, this can lead to scapegoating and a further erosion of trust in society and government.”
4 healthy coping mechanisms from experts
“There are quite a few positive, actionable activities that one can engage in to support healthy processing of societal trauma,” said Ginder.
“Find a news source you trust and stick with it,” a mental health expert advised. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The experts shared their recommendations for how to process such a jarring event.
1. Stick to a trusted source
After an event like the attempted assassination, rumors and conspiracy theories run rampant, most of which aren’t rooted in fact, according to Alpert.
“This only leads to conjecture and collective anxiety,” he warned.
He added, “Find a news source you trust and stick with it.”
“When a prominent individual becomes a target, it can make us feel that no one is truly safe.”
Even with a trusted source, it may be a good idea to take breaks from media consumption now and then, experts also advised.
“While recognizing that being informed is a part of being an engaged citizen, it is also important to practice mindful media consumption and limit exposure to sensationalized or solely speculative news coverage,” said Ginder.
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If this proves difficult, he suggests setting time limits using a cell phone timer or scheduling limited times to view updates.
2. Make time for self-care
“During times of stress, it becomes even more important to maintain a regular routine and engage in self-care,” Ginder said.
Self-care behaviors like getting enough exercise, eating well and indulging in hobbies can help provide a sense of normalcy, experts say. (iStock)
Healthy behaviors like preserving regular sleep routines, eating nutrient-rich foods, practicing prayer or meditation, indulging in hobbies and making time for physical activity may help provide a sense of normalcy and control, according to the expert.
3. Turn despair into positive action
“In the face of violence, many may feel compelled to take action to regain a sense of control,” Ginder said.
“This can be helpful in processing emotions, especially when turned into positive action.”
Individuals may want to consider volunteering, engaging in communities of faith or shared interests, participating in local government, or supporting organizations that align with their values, Ginder suggested.
“This can help restore a sense of agency and purpose,” he added.
Individuals may want to consider engaging in communities of faith or shared interests to help cope with the effects of a traumatic event, an expert suggested. (iStock)
Cultivating compassion, hope, empathy and understanding can also support overall well-being, according to the expert.
“Research suggests that reiterating positive affirmations or self-talk, practicing kindness, and maintaining a positive mindset and outlook can help bolster one’s sense of subjective well-being,” Ginder said.
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4. Seek help when you need it
While it is perfectly normal to be affected by societal trauma, if the impact begins to affect daily functioning, relationships or mental health, Ginder said it is “highly advisable” to seek professional help from a licensed clinician.
Over the two and a half years following the 2022 rollout of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline, the rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11 percent below projections, decreasing most sharply in states with a higher volume of answered 988 calls, a new study has found.
The findings, published today as a research letter in JAMA, compared suicide deaths from July 2022 to December 2024 with sophisticated mathematical projections that were based on historical trends. This yielded good news, with 4,372 fewer suicides of adolescents and young adults, ages 15 to 34, than had been projected.
To ensure that the decline was related to the use of the hotline, researchers at Harvard Medical School teased out the trends in states with high and low usage of the hotline. The findings were striking: The 10 states with the largest increases in 988 calls experienced an 18.2 percent reduction in observed suicides compared with expected suicides; in the 10 states with the lowest uptake, the reduction was smaller, 10.6 percent.
The results suggest that the government’s investment in the 988 rollout has translated into “a measurable reduction of deaths,” said Dr. Vishal Patel, a resident physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and one of the authors of the study.
“What our study has added,” he said, “is evidence for the deeper benefit of the program, and that is, that at the population level, among young people at least, suicide mortality is lower than it would have been without the program.”
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He added, “The implication of that is that sustained funding for this program matters.”
The United States rolled out the three-digit hotline with bipartisan support in July 2022, replacing a 10-digit hotline number, and augmented it with a $1.5 billion investment in crisis center capacity. Since its inception, the service has fielded more than 25 million contacts, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency has asked Congress for $534.6 million to fund the program for 2027.
Last summer, the Trump administration terminated one element of the hotline, the Press 3 option for L.G.B.T.Q.+ callers. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said that the Press 3 option was being discontinued because it had exhausted its funding from Congress and that the hotline would “focus on serving all help seekers.”
But advocacy groups and policymakers protested the decision, and in testimony before the Senate on Tuesday, the health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said his agency was planning to restore the Press 3 option.
Dr. Patel said his group had become curious about measuring the program’s effectiveness after Press 3 was eliminated. While call volume and satisfaction surveys suggested that 988 was succeeding, he said, the harder question was, “Did the creation of this 988 program, the transition from the old hotline to this hotline, actually move the needle on suicide mortality?”
Experts said it was difficult to tease out the beneficial effect of 988 from other things that changed in 2022, the year that the new hotline was created. Around that time, suicide prevention programs were being introduced in schools, in faith communities and on social media, but more important, the pandemic was ending.
“We were finally out of this crazy time, and there was a sense of optimism and hope,” said Jonathan B. Singer, a professor of social work at Loyola University Chicago and a co-author of “Suicide in Schools.” He called the downward trend in youth suicides “encouraging, but it is tempered by the fact that we don’t have a good explanation as to why.”
The authors acknowledged that their findings could not account for the influence of social and economic changes, changes in mental health services or public awareness about services.
But they did make comparisons to exclude other possible explanations. The authors looked for similar effects among American adults over 65, who are less likely to use the hotline. In that group, there was a reduction in suicides that exceeded expectations, but it was smaller, at just 4.5 percent.
To ensure the decline in suicides did not reflect a general improvement in young-adult mortality, the researchers tracked cancer deaths, and found there was no change. They also looked at the rates of suicide among young people in England, where no change had been made to the national crisis line in that time period; they found no reduction in youth suicides there.
Hannah Wesolowski, chief advocacy officer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said she was persuaded that the hotline had contributed to the improvement in suicide rates, in part because it did not appear among English youths or in older Americans.
“To me, that really helps hone in that this might really be the differentiator,” she said. “We are seeing potentially a pretty significant decline in suicides among young people. For public policy, this is strong evidence to double down on that we are doing.”
Emily Hilliard, a senior press secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, said H.H.S. and SAMHSA are “committed to ensuring that all Americans have access” the 988 line, which she said “clearly provides lifesaving support, helping millions of people every year.”
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
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A highly contagious digestive virus is surging across the U.S., experts warn.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain.
The virus primarily affects infants and young children, but there have also been outbreaks in elderly populations, such as nursing homes.
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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the week ending April 4, out of 2,329 rotavirus tests, 7.3% were positive for the infection. Last year’s highest infection rate was 6.77% as of the week ending April 19.
Rotavirus, a double-stranded RNA virus, causes acute gastroenteritis — inflammation of the stomach and intestines — which can lead to severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever and stomach pain. (iStock)
“We’re seeing a lot of rotavirus in the wastewater right now,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, confirmed to Fox News Digital. “Testing for rotavirus is way down, but the percentage of positive tests is up.”
While the virus typically peaks in the spring, it is not currently slowing down, he noted.
Why cases may be rising
Patricia Pinto-Garcia, M.D., a medical editor at GoodRx who is based in California, said there are several possible reasons for the rotavirus spike.
“Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID,” she told Fox News Digital. “This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection.”
The rotavirus vaccine series must be completed by the time a child is 8 months old, she noted.
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As a result of the declining vaccinations, herd immunity isn’t protecting vulnerable children, according to Pinto-Garcia. “Children who haven’t finished the vaccine series yet, are too young to get vaccinated, or can’t get the vaccine due to medical illness are more likely to get exposed to the illness because other children aren’t vaccinated,” she said.
Siegel noted that before the vaccine became available, rotavirus resulted in 55,000 to 70,000 in the U.S. per year.
“Vaccine rates are down overall among young children, as they decreased during COVID,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. “This means there’s a growing number of infants and young children who are vulnerable to infection.” (iStock)
“I am concerned that the vaccination rate has been declining over the past seven years and is continuing to decline in the current climate of vaccine skepticism,” he said.
Surveillance methods are also much better than they used to be, Pinto-Garcia noted, which means public health experts are able to pick up and track cases better than ever before.
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“But we see that rotavirus-related healthcare visits are also up, so improved detection is not the only reason we are seeing this spike,” she said.
The COVID pandemic also disrupted the pattern of infections, according to Pinto-Garcia, so it’s “tricky” to compare the current levels against older cycles.
“It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor,” she added.
Transmission and risk
Dr. Zachary Hoy, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Pediatrix Medical Group based in Nashville, Tennessee, often sees young patients with rotavirus.
“Rotavirus is spread via the fecal-oral route, meaning that a person comes into contact with virus droplets from contact with other children or adults, or from contact with objects such as toys that have been contaminated with the virus from someone who is sick,” he told Fox News Digital. “This can lead to outbreaks, especially at schools where many young children share the same toys.”
“It’s possible that what we are seeing is still some post-pandemic rebound, but it’s unlikely that this year’s pattern is fully explained by just this factor.”
Rotavirus is associated with many dehydration cases in the hospital due to the degree of diarrhea, according to Hoy.
In some severe cases, the virus can lead to seizures due to electrolyte imbalances from dehydration and loss of electrolytes in the stool.
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“Younger children do not have the reserves that older children and adults have, so they can become more dehydrated quicker and develop more severe electrolyte imbalances, leading to more severe infections,” Hoy said.
“Patients with problems with their immune systems or on medications that can decrease their immune systems can have more severe and prolonged infections, too.”
Treatment and care
Because rotavirus is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective against it. There is no specific antiviral treatment for the condition, with doctors typically recommending supportive care.
“The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids,” Hoy told Fox News Digital. “Sometimes it can take up to two to three days of IV fluids to help get patients rehydrated.”
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Blood draws are often necessary to evaluate patients’ electrolyte levels, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, according to the doctor.
“If these electrolyte levels are significantly low, sometimes patients need special IV solutions or individual electrolyte medications,” he added.
“The mainstay of treatment is hospitalization for rehydration via intravenous (IV) fluids,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
Dr. Daniel Park, medical director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at UNC Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, noted that most children recover with supportive care, but parents should seek medical attention if a child shows signs of dehydration. Those include decreased urination, lethargy or inability to keep fluids down.
“While rare, rotavirus can be life-threatening in vulnerable populations, especially very young infants or children with underlying medical conditions,” Park told Fox News Digital.
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Prevention strategies
Given the lack of antiviral medications for rotavirus, doctors emphasize the importance of prevention, primarily the vaccine.
There are two rotavirus vaccines – Rotateq (a three-dose series) and Rotarix (a two-dose series). They are given starting at age 2 months as oral drops, not injections, according to Hoy.
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“It’s important to get the rotavirus vaccines on schedule, because these younger infants are at greatest risk if they get rotavirus,” he advised.
Other recommended prevention methods include handwashing with soap and water.
Every day we’re faced with a zillion small choices: Go to sleep early, or watch one more episode of that Netflix drama. Call an old friend to catch up, or cruise social media. Of course, no single action will guarantee a long, healthy life or doom you to an early grave. But those little daily decisions do add up, and over the long term they can make a difference when it comes to both your longevity and your health span, the amount of life spent in relatively good health.
Scroll through this theoretical “day in the life” and select the option that best fits your typical day. Not every situation will apply perfectly, but think about which choice you’d be most likely to make. This isn’t a formal scientific assessment. The goal here isn’t to assign you a “good” or “bad” score, but to help you understand the central factors that shape the way we age and how long we live.
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