Skip to Content

The Effects of Gun Violence on Children’s Mental Health with Dr. Chelsea Grefe McCann and Dr. Cristin McDermott

Released: 1/10/2023

In this episode of That’s Pediatrics, our hosts talk with Chelsea Grefe McCann, PsyD, a licensed psychologist and certified clinician in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Cristin McDermott, MD, psychiatrist in Pediatric Behavioral Health Consultation and Liaison Services, both at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

In this episode our experts discuss:

  • Context and statistics about the gun violence epidemic specifically as it relates to children (3:16)
  • The psychological effects of gun violence – and trauma in general – on kids (5:33)
  • What the community and parents can do to support children being impacted by violence (7:34)
  • Practicing safe gun storage at home and when children are at other’s homes (8:17)
  • How parents and providers can start conversations with children about violence and its effects (11:56)
  • Online and in-person resources that are available to parents and caregivers (15:55)
  • Experiencing traumatic stress vs. post-traumatic stress disorder (20:41)
  • Long term impact of adverse childhood events (ACEs) (22:47)

Meet Our Guests

Chelsea Grefe McCann, PsyDChelsea Grefe McCann, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist at UPMC’s Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and certified clinician in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She currently serves as the program director for the Behavioral Science Division. Dr. Grefe McCann earned her bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and her Master of Science and Doctoral degrees from St. John’s University. Dr. Grefe McCann has extensive experience treating patients who present with mood concerns, behavioral problems, and trauma histories in school, outpatient, and hospital settings. Prior to joining UPMC Children’s, Dr. Grefe McCann worked as a school psychologist in Connecticut and staff psychologist at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Dr. Grefe McCann is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. She is a National Registrar Health Service Psychologist and a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).

Cristin McDermott, MDCristin McDermott, MD, is a psychiatrist in Pediatric Behavioral Health Consultation and Liaison Services at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She is also associate program director of the Triple Board Program and an assistant professor of pediatrics and child psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She is board certified in psychiatry, pediatrics, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. McDermott received her medical degree from the University of Connecticut. She completed her triple board residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. Her clinical and research interests include pediatric hospital medicine and child adolescent behavioral health. She is a member of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD), the Association of Psychiatry Training Directors (AADPRT), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Meet Our Hosts

Amanda Poholek, PhDAmanda Poholek, PhD, is director of the Health Science Sequencing Core Facility at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and an assistant professor of Pediatrics and Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University and her doctorate degree in cell biology from Yale University. She also completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Poholek’s lab at UPMC Children’s studies immune cells and how transcriptomics and epigenetics contribute to health and disease.

Arvind Srinath, MD, MSArvind Srinath, MD, MS, is the Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship program director at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and an associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He received his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine before completing a residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, a fellowship at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and a master’s degree in medical education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Srinath’s areas of interest are curricular development, functional gastrointestinal disorders, and telehealth. Find him on Twitter: @Srinath_Arvind.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical care or advice. Clinicians should rely on their own medical judgements when advising their patients. Patients in need of medical care should consult their personal care provider.