Louisville attack puts focus on mental health in the workplace
Some coworkers of the suspected shooter in Louisville say he was friendly, and they didn't see any red flags.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As investigators continue to piece together the circumstances surrounding the shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville, Kentucky, many of the people watching the story unfold are just trying to make sense of the attack, which witnesses say began in a conference room. It's putting a focus on the workplace and mental health.
"It saddens me like it probably saddens most people," said Russ Micoli whose reaction isn't just from emotion, but also from expertise since he focuses on mental health in the workplace.
Micoli is vice president of behavioral health at Virtua Health System where he also serves as chair of the Violence Prevention Steering Committee.
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"Society as a whole, there's just a lot more stress," he said of the need for a focus on mental health as it relates to stresses in the workplace. "There's a lot more challenges out there for people, and work is one of them."
Micoli works to prevent tragedy in the workplace like Monday's attack at Old National Bank.
"That someone could be in such distress that they take this type of action," he said.
The Louisville shooting suspect was about to be fired from his job at the bank. It's something Micoli says isn't usually a tipping point for violence, but companies should still have resources to prepare for that possibility.
Micoli says that sometimes there are signs that a coworker may become violent.
"If a person is a social person and they start to become withdrawn and isolate themselves, or if they are consistently withdrawn," he said of two possible warning signs.
But some coworkers of the suspected shooter in Louisville say he was friendly, and they didn't see any red flags. That's not uncommon, according to Dr. Lisa Corbin with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
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"Psychologists are really trying to figure out ways to predict, but it's really hard," said Corbin.
It is why both experts agree with companies putting more of a focus on employees' mental health.
"A culture that provides the resource for folks that are struggling," he said. "Open support. So staff feel like they have an outlet. And not just those who are struggling, but support for those who work with those who are struggling."
That includes coworkers who survived the Louisville attack and may have to return to the bank.
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Trauma could also extend to everyday people watching the stories of what happened.
"A lot of times we'll watch those stories and go, 'that could have been me. That can be me," said Corbin, who recommends not overwatching coverage of potentially traumatic events like the Louisville shooting. She also recommends people who are frightened by what happened to seek moments of self-care.
"You can do a five-minute mindfulness activity," she said. "Give yourself little pieces of self-care to help remind you of where you are and that you are safe."
