RESCUING PAISLEE: Psychologist says trauma could impact Paislee Shultis’ mental health for years

While the officials who found Paislee Shultis at her home say she was healthy and in good shape, that doesn't mean she isn't dealing with issues when it comes to her mental health.
Experts who spoke to News 12 say it's important for those signs of mental health struggles to be recognized.
They say children, like Paislee, who go through any sort of upheaval of this magnitude, are likely experiencing something that can be called a traumatic event.
Child psychologists say even though she's only 6 years old, the mental health impact of what happened to her can last with her a lifetime. "We know that traumatic events can have a really substantial impact on child development through adulthood, in ways that can perpetuate adverse experiences and difficulty in terms of mental health over the course of a lifespan," says psychologist Dr. Alexandra Stratyner
Dr. Stratyner adds that Paislee is old enough to remember this traumatic event and that she needs to have a strong support system from the adults now caring for her plus professional help to help her handle what she went through.