News coverage of the escalating conflict between Israel and Gaza has been graphic, immediate and relentless.
Research shows indirect exposure to traumatic events can trigger mental health problems or difficulties in personal relationships, particularly for children, so a balance must be found between engaging with the news and managing anxiety.
Children may ask questions about what they are seeing and hearing on the news. It can help to prepare for such difficult conversations, but experts recommend checking in with yourself first (if possible).
It's common to feel a sense of powerlessness when watching others suffer so you may be feeling grief and distress, says Robyn Hunter, head of strategy at Beyond Blue.
A lot of news can be disturbing, but it's the steady stream of close-up, explicit imagery from Gaza which makes this more traumatising, she points out in an interview on ABC News.
"Plus it's a very polarising and emotive issue and a lot of people have a connection to the area."
Loading...She says those who have experienced conflict in their lives are particularly at risk, as it can be re-traumatising to see images of war.
Low moods that you can't shake, intrusive thoughts, difficulty concentrating or sleeping and feeling agitated are all signs it's time to take action, Ms Hunter says.
"Exercise some self-care … take 15 minutes, go for a walk, make sure you're eating well, share your feelings with loved ones, avoid excessive alcohol consumption … and if necessary, seek some support."
When it comes to keeping informed about what's happening, Ms Hunter recommends carefully choosing the medium of news that works for you and turning off mobile push notifications for news.
"If you're a very visual person, seeing the graphic imagery is very distressing, so I'd perhaps switch to radio."
Once your coping mechanisms are in place, those with children may choose to prepare for some potentially challenging conversations.
Use age-appropriate information
Psychologist Carly Dober, director of Australian Association of Psychologists Incorporated, says a lot of children will be susceptible to news-related stress right now.
"Because this is likely going to go on for some time ... I think a lot of children are vulnerable," she says.
Although a lot of parents will have a tendency to shield children from the horrors, Ms Dober generally cautions against complete avoidance of the subject as they are likely to hear about what's going on inadvertently (for example, at school or through friends).
Instead, she says, it helps to be preventative and give children age-appropriate information. This involves using language that aligns with your child's age and development stage.
"So talking about geopolitics to a four- or five-year-old might not land or be very helpful at all," Ms Dober says.
It probably won't be necessary to include traumatic details of the war, such as how many people have died so far.
Instead, Ms Dober recommends more general comments like:
"You might hear or see some really scary images and stories about things that are happening in other countries where people are being hurt."
"Fights and wars might break out between countries and people, and some people can get hurt, and that's really scary."
Consultant clinical psychologist Sheila Redfern from UK mental health charity Anna Freud says being honest about a situation can be reassuring to a child.
"Especially when you empathise and share their feelings. Say something like, 'actually, it's scary, isn't it — when we don't know what's going to happen? I'm not certain either, but we're not on our own.'"
Limit news exposure
Don't let children watch too much news. When they are tuned in, make sure you're there with them.
Ms Dober says this means you can turn it off if necessary, or talk to them about what they are seeing in the moment.
Time limits on news consumption are also essential.
"Maybe twice or three times a week you tune into the news for 10 minutes to see what's going on, you get the update, and then you turn it off. That means it's not on in the background constantly," Ms Dober says.
Little ears are always listening
Children model their behaviour from their parents and caregivers so you may need to be hyper-aware of managing your own emotions as best you can.
If you're crying, showing signs of stress or talking about the world being a dangerous place, children will internalise that message and start to think that way, Ms Dober says.
"Because if mum, dad, aunties and uncles are scared, of course kids are going to feel scared," she says.
So be cautious about what you say to other adults, even when you don't think children are in earshot.
"Kids overhear everything."
Put worry into action
Ms Dober says it might be beneficial to suggest practical things children can do in the face of this crisis.
Perhaps that's writing a letter, sending care packages or making a donation from your household.
For children who have creative tendencies, expressing feelings through drawing, painting or journalling can also be "hugely beneficial", Ms Dober says.
"The research on this is really powerful.
"Engage in a conversation after they have done the art: 'I see you have drawn a lot of dead people. How are you feeling right now? What's on your mind? Are you scared?'"
When to seek help
Having a stress response to a devastating situation is completely expected but caregivers should assess the severity and duration of any worrying behaviours they observe.
Signs that indirect exposure to this conflict is taking its toll on a child might include:
- repeatedly bringing it up in conversation
- low mood, excessive crying
- nightmares
- bed-wetting or regression behaviours (acting in a younger or needier way)
- preoccupation with death, war or "bad people".
Ms Dober says if responses such as these continue for more than two weeks, it's time to get help.
"I'd recommend getting onto that pretty quickly because symptoms of anxiety can worsen if they aren't getting support in a timely manner.
"Take them to their GP or paediatrician, or get them connected to a child psychologist if needed."
Reassurance is paramount
This is a time to remind children they are safe, despite what they are seeing other children go through.
"If I'm an eight-year-old and I hear that all these eight-year-olds are being murdered or bombed, I'm going to be terrified that might happen to me, or my family or school," Ms Dober says.
She recommends offering realistic reassurance and telling them you are available if they have any questions or worries.
"Remind kids that we are safe here."
Correcting false information
Misinformation about the conflict is rife and it's likely your child might hear something that's untrue.
If so, Ms Dober recommends correcting them but using judgement about how much information you provide.
"I think it's really important to be honest with kids because it helps the relationship. If they are hearing a lot of misinformation that can really impact them — the fear and anxiety can be worse."
She says if a child is hearing dangerous falsities at school, it might be necessary to feed that back to the teacher so they can talk to the class.
Dr Redfern says it's important to not sugar-coat news.
"Our children and young people are often more resilient than parents or carers realise and want you to be honest."