Psychologist tells Cookstown teenagers 'keep talking to family & friends'

Mental health staff will be available to help teenagers caught up in the Cookstown hotel crush.

The Northern Trust's senior psychologist says doctors will be keeping a watchful eye ahead of the funerals on Friday.

Lauren Bullock, 17, Morgan Barnard, 17 and Connor Currie who was 16, died after the tragedy in the queue for a disco at the Greenvale hotel on Saint Patrick's Day.

It is thought hundreds of people experienced the tragic incident.

Funerals for the three teenagers will take place in County Tyrone on Friday.

Dr Petra Corr, senior psychologist at the Northern Trust said it would take some time for mental health symptoms to go away after witnessing the trauma:

"The funerals will be very difficult for everybody, however, they also offer an opportunity for people to be together and take comfort from each other's presence.

"I would encourage people who feel that they would like to go to the funeral to do that and to be there with the community.

"This community has been very impacted but there's great strength in the community in the Cookstown and Mid Ulster area and I feel that they'll be able to come together."

Families and relatives of those affected have been trying to provide support.

Dr Petra told Downtown Cool FM what they can do to help: "What is most helpful is a compassionate and listening ear.''

"Parents can be available to their children, they can show them that they're there to talk to them when they want to talk about what they experienced.

"They can understand that their low mood, irritability and sleeplessness is a natural response and they can reassure their children that they will recover."

More intensive intervention is not recommended according to clinical guidelines.

"The key issue is really what is known as watchful waiting, whereby we are here as a health and social care service, here and available for individuals who continue to experience difficulties.

"We are keeping an eye and offering support.

"We should see a reduction in the level of symptoms for many but for those who we don't see that reduction, the watchful waiting really comes in at that stage."

She urged the teenagers to spend time with their families and friends while the symptoms scaled down until they were able to continue as before.

Help and support is available on the trust's website