Psychological Reactions to Terrorist Attacks

Abstract

The coordinated attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC), the Pentagon, and commercial civilian aircraft on the morning of September 11, 2001, were the most deadly terrorist acts ever to occur in the United States. For those directly exposed, the attacks undoubtedly meet the "traumatic event" criterion for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as set forth in the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.¹ Considerable research indicates that individuals directly exposed to a traumatic event are at increased risk for PTSD, for other psychiatric disorders, and for somatic symptoms and physical illnesses.² Additionally, a review of research on the mental health consequences of natural and man-made disasters found that events that involve intentional violence are more likely to be associated with symptoms of severe psychological distress, including PTSD, than are disasters not characterized by human malfeasance.³