Aftermath Neurosis: Psychological Sequelae of the Birmingham Bombings in Victims Not Seriously Injured

Abstract

This is a follow-up study of people who were involved in bomb explosions in two Birmingham public houses in November 1974, but were not seriously injured. One hundred and sixteen people were conveyed to hospital, registered, given casualty treatment and allowed home that evening. A small sub-sample of these survivors were visited at home two years after the disaster and the clinical characteristics were observed; the social and symptomatic disturbances were greater than expected. Work records of these survivors before and after the explosion were compared with matched outpatient casualties. On comparing disturbance to employment for the two groups, the bomb victims showed much greater incapacity.