Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology
Associate Professor of Psychology Laura Wilson spoke with WHRO Public Media, an NPR affiliate in Norfolk, about the anniversary of the Virginia Beach mass shooting on May 31 and the process of recovery for survivors.
People work through trauma in different ways, said Laura Wilson, a psychology professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. Some may have channel their grief into political activism, some people organize events, some retreat into themselves, while others seek solace in people who can relate to their experience.
“Anything a person can do to create meaning around a loss can be vital to getting their life back on track,” she said.
But any of those things is likely more difficult in a pandemic.
“As you start to put additional stressors on people who are already struggling, that’s only going to further impact their mental health issues,” Wilson said. Read more.