Utah social worker recommends open, honest conversations to process recent tragedies

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

WEST HAVEN — Utah has had its share recently of tragic news stories, including multiple children who have died after getting shot.

That includes news that a 32-year-old woman and three children were found shot to death inside a vehicle in West Haven Tuesday night. Police later determined that Maribel Ibarra, of West Haven, shot and killed her three children before taking her own life.

Events like that can take a toll on our mental health, even if we're not personally connected to them, said Jenn Oxborrow, a licensed clinical social worker and victim advocate.

"These are terrible tragedies," Oxborrow said. "They're very, very sad and very scary."

The West Haven case is just the latest in a string of such stories. A few weeks ago, a 5-year-old boy in Santaquin died after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found in his parents' room.

Earlier this week, an 8-year-old boy also died after accidentally shooting himself outside a Lehi gas station with a gun that was in the car.

Oxborrow said these sad stories can add up, so it's important to talk and be open about how it's affecting you.

"It's really important for people to be able to understand what emotion they're feeling and then talk about it," Oxborrow said. "If you need to find a professional to talk about your feelings and your thoughts, do that before it becomes a problem, before it interrupts your sleep or your work or your relationships."

Oxborrow said these tragic stories are also revealing about our society today.

Jenn Oxborrow, a licensed clinical social worker and victim advocate, says tragic events such as the one Tuesday night in West Haven can take a toll on our mental health. (Photo: Winston Armani, KSL-TV)

"We don't have a shortage of resources. We have an abundance of guns," she said. "We have to assume that when people we care about are in crisis, they can get access to a deadly weapon very easily."

That's why Oxborrow said it's critical to communicate — including with children — and discuss ways to stay safe while also dealing with fear, anxiety, and uncertainty.

"Those are normal feelings to have about an abnormal situation," Oxborrow said. "What's abnormal is how much this is happening and how many children have been killed in just the last month in our state, so we need to do more."