Preparing for the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism A Public Health Strategy (2003) / Chapter Skim
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1. Introduction: Rationale for a Public Health Response to the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism
1. Introduction: Rationale for a Public Health Response to the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism
Pages 19-33
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From page 19... ...
It is a psychological assault intended to intimidate and instill fear in communities, societies, or populations. The stress associated with the direct impact and lingering threat of terrorism raises obvious psychological concerns, particularly for the most vulnerable children, those with mental illness, first responders, minority and immigrant populations who have suddenly lost a secure environment.
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From page 20... ...
These ongoing issues and events should not be forgotten. The need to psychologically prepare the nation for terrorism events highlights the additional benefits of this kind of preparation for other traumatic and violent events that affect U.S.
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From page 21... ...
. The committee did not have the time or resources to create a comprehensive response plan or to conduct an exhaustive review of the literature regarding the psychological consequences of terrorism.
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From page 22... ...
Given these diverse consequences, terrorism has the ability to disrupt numerous aspects of individual and community functioning. Addressing the psychological needs of the population will help to facilitate recovery from a terrorism event.
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From page 23... ...
These spheres, which are described in further detail in the section that follows, include distress responses, behavioral changes, and psychiatric illness. TERRORISM AND THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH: THE NEED FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF TERRORISM Why Is the Public's Health Linked to Psychological Health?
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From page 24... ...
have identified the need for a public health approach to mental illness that expands efforts beyond treatment for the most severely affected individuals. Strategies for a public mental health approach to psychological reactions to disaster among children have also been proposed (Pynoos, Goenjian, & Steinberg, 1995~.
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From page 25... ...
Behavioral changes refer to actions such as avoiding air travel; increased smoking or alcohol consumption; and neglect of healthy routines and habits such as appropriate exercise, nutrition, and rest. Other more adaptive behavior changes may include gathering information to prepare for future events, increasing contact and communication with friends and family, or volunteering.
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From page 26... ...
How can and should the psychological needs of a society impacted by terrorism be met by the mental health, medical care, public health, and emergency response systems?
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From page 27... ...
A contribution of this model, termed TABLE 1-1 Use of the Public Health Model to Understand and Organize Factors Involved in Transmission of Disease Factors Infectious Disease Model: Lyme Disease Agent Host Vector or vehicle Environment Spirochete Human Tick Wooded area, lack of protective clothing
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From page 28... ...
Speeding without Seat Belt (Environment) Pre-event Driver's education Event Use of seat belts Post-event First aid End Result Injured passengers Building of cars with crumple zones and airbags Activation of antilock breaks and deployment of airbags Use of emergency equipment to rescue victims Damaged car Guard rails and divided highways Witnesses contact emergency medical services Emergency care and rehabilitation Damage to property and/ or other cars the Haddon Matrix (see Table 1-3)
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From page 29... ...
By adapting the Haddon Matrix, the model can be developed for psychological injuries as shown in Table 1-4. TABLE 1-4 Application of the Public Health Model to Understand and Organize Factors Involved in the Psychological Consequences of ~ ~ .
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From page 30... ...
Attack, 2001 Factors Affected Terrorist and Physical Individuals and Injurious and Social Phases Populations Agent Environment Pre-event Psychological Vulnerability of Vulnerability of WTC unpreparedness for aircraft to to attack (structural, the attack hijackers symbolic nature, height) Event Exposure to the Aircraft turned Towers collapse violence of the attack into weapon of mass destruction Post-event Inadequate assessment Numerous bomb Relocation of Lower and treatment of threats Manhattan residents psychological consequences End results Distress responses,behavioral Terrorists gain change, psychiatric illness greater visibility Disruption of support networks
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From page 31... ...
Have plans in place detailing federal, state, and local agency roles in prevention and detection including mental health response Mobilize trauma Communicate that workers to respond organizational to survivors and families of victims Communicate that response to attack will help decrease impact of future attacks Minimize loss of life and impact response systems are in place and working Adjust risk .
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From page 32... ...
Presently Existing and Needed Components of Mental Health and Public Health Systems A shift from the traditional focus on the psychological health of individuals toward a community- and population-based emphasis will be crucial for the success of measures to prevent and limit the psychological sequelae and to improve the public's mental health in response to attacks or threats of terrorism. The use of the Haddon Matrix for thinking about the psychological effects of terrorism as an injury offers intriguing possibilities not only for understanding various levels of risk and opportunities for intervention, but also for integrating psychological health into a public health framework.
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From page 33... ...
Although it is beyond the scope of this report to provide an exhaustive review of the literature, Chapter 2 highlights the psychological sequelae following a variety of traumatic events for both the general population and vulnerable populations. For an additional review of the responses of individuals and organizations to terrorism events and the threat of terrorism, the reader is referred to Making the Nation Safer: The Role of Science and Technology in Countering Terrorism (NRC, 2002b)
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