An implementation study of cognitive'“behavioral therapies (CBT) was conducted for traumatized youth in a postdisaster context. Headed by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the study targeted youth (N = 306) ages 5-21 affected by the World Trade Center disaster. They received either trauma-specific CBT or brief CBT skills depending upon the severity of trauma symptoms. Clinicians were trained to deliver these interventions and received monthly consultation. A regression discontinuity design was used to assess optimal strategies for matching need to service intensity. At 6-months postbaseline, both groups had improved. Rate of change was similar despite differences in severity of need. The implications for the implementation of evidence-based treatments postdisaster are discussed. [Author Abstract]

The present study investigates Indian College Student's Perception of worldwide terrorism. Participants comprised 120 P.G. and U.G. College Students (62 Boys and 58 Girls) from Gorakhpur University in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The questionnaire of youths perception of terror (QoYPoT) was developed by the Manoj K. Rao and is used in this study. The results indicate that most youths known the terrorist attack took place in Bombey, Varanasi, Delhi, United States and all over the world. Students most frequently defined terrorism as terror-intimidation-threat and categorized terrorists as 'bandits'. They report feeling fear-horror when they hear the world terrorism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

Although the short- and midterm psychological effects of the attacks on September 11, 2001 (9/11) have been well described, less is known about the long-term effects. This study examines the course of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), its predictors and clinical consequences in a cohort of 455 primary care patients in New York City, interviewed approximately 1 and 4 years after 9/11. The rate of PTSD decreased from 9.6% to 4.1%. Pre-9/11 major depressive disorder emerged as the strongest predictor of PTSD, particularly late-PTSD. At follow-up, late-PTSD was associated with major depressive and anxiety disorders, and PTSD regardless of timing was associated with impaired functioning. Findings highlight the importance of ongoing evaluation of mental health needs in primary care settings in the aftermath of disasters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)(journal abstract)

Mass violence is not new to Uganda. Since Uganda's independence, in 1962, it has consisted of political violence, warfare, mob vigilante violence and, in the recent past, urban terrorism. Despite this long history of mass violence and other natural disasters, no mechanism has ever been put in place to deal with its immediate psychosocial fall out. On July 11th 2010, terrorist bomb blasts went off in two places in Kampala in the night as people watched the World Cup football finals. Panic ensued. The Ministry of Health and that of Disaster Preparedness were all caught unawares. Mulago Hospital Emergency Psychiatric Service together with BasicNeeds (UK) in Uganda organized psychological first aid to the acute victims of these bomb blasts, their families, and those involved in the rescue mission. This paper presents a summary of the report of the evaluation of the outcomes of the immediate psychosocial interventions carried out to persons affected by the Kampala terrorist bombings of 7/11. [Author Abstract]

Little is known about how to remedy the unmet mental health needs associated with major terrorist attacks, or what outcomes are achievable with evidence-based treatment. This article reports the usage, diagnoses and outcomes associated with the 2-year Trauma Response Programme (TRP) for those affected by the 2005 London bombings.MethodFollowing a systematic and coordinated programme of outreach, the contact details of 910 people were obtained by the TRP. Of these, 596 completed a screening instrument that included the Trauma Screening Questionnaire (TSQ) and items assessing other negative responses. Those scoring ≥6 on the TSQ, or endorsing other negative responses, received a detailed clinical assessment. Individuals judged to need treatment (n=217) received trauma-focused cognitive-behaviour therapy (TF-CBT) or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Symptom levels were assessed pre- and post-treatment with validated self-report measures of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and 66 were followed up at 1 year. Case finding relied primarily on outreach rather than standard referral pathways such as primary care. The effect sizes achieved for treatment of DSM-IV PTSD exceeded those usually found in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and gains were well maintained an average of 1 year later. Outreach with screening, linked to the provision of evidence-based treatment, seems to be a viable method of identifying and meeting mental health needs following a terrorist attack. Given the failure of normal care pathways, it is a potentially important approach that merits further evaluation.

The present study examined perceived stress, stress appraisal, and coping strategies used in relation to exposure to television coverage of terrorist incidents. It was hypothesized that there is relationship between perceived stress, stress appraisal, coping strategies and television exposure of terrorism. Ninety eight students comprised the sample and were selected from different departments of Faculty of Life Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore. Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983), Stress Appraisal Measure (Peacock & Wong, 1990), and Coping Strategy Questionnaire (Kausar & Munir, 2004) were used for assessment. There was relationship between perceived stress, stress appraisal and coping strategies. Stress appraisal predicted the type of coping strategies used by the participants. Significant gender differences were found in perceived stress, stress appraisal and coping strategies. Female participants perceived more stress than male students. Male participants were watching terrorism on TV significantly more than female participants. Male participants were found to be using significantly more active-practical coping than female participants who used significantly more religious focused coping strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

This report analyzes the actions taken by emergency responders in three case studies of post-9/11 terrorist attacks in Europe (Istanbul [2003], Madrid [2004] and London [2005]). It also assesses the targeting and tactical information gleaned from three European plots that either failed or were foiled by authorities. The focus of this report is on mass casualty, complex attack scenarios involving explosive or incendiary materials. Although such attacks are not limited to one particular strand of terrorism, the case studies assessed in this report are linked to or inspired by the global jihadist movement spearheaded by the al Qaeda network, since this currently constitutes the most significant threat of mass casualty bombings to the United States. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of, and to identify correlates of clinically significant sleep problems in adult Israeli citizens exposed to chronic terrorism and war trauma or threat thereof. METHODS: A population-based, cross-sectional study of 1001 adult Israeli citizens interviewed by phone between July 15 and August 26, 2008. The phone survey was conducted in Hebrew and assessed demographics, trauma/stressor exposure, probable PTSD, probable depression, and sleep problems. Probable PTSD and depression were assessed with the PTSD Symptom Scale (PSS) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively, following DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Sleep problems in the past month were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), on which a global composite score ≥ 6 indicates a clinical-level sleep problem. RESULTS: Prevalence of probable PTSD and depression was 5.5% and 5.8%, respectively. Prevalence of clinically significant sleep problems was 37.4% overall, but was significantly higher for probable PTSD (81.8%) and probable depression (79.3%) subgroups. Independent correlates of poor sleep included being female, older, less educated, experiencing major life stressors, and experiencing psychosocial resource loss. Psychosocial resource loss due to terrorist attacks emerged as the strongest potentially modifiable risk factor for sleep problems. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep problems are common among Israeli adults living under chronic traumatic threat and trauma exposure. Given the continuing threat of war, interventions that bolster psychosocial resources may play an important role in preventing or alleviating sleep problems in this population. [Author Abstract] KEY WORDS: sleep problems; trauma; war; terrorism; PTSD; depression; resource loss

In this case study, virtual reality was used to augment imaginal exposure in a protocol based on prolonged exposure. A 29-year-old male patient developed posttraumatic stress disorder after surviving a deadly terrorist bulldozer attack on two civilian buses and several cars in Jerusalem; the traumas witnessed by the survivor included a decapitation. The crowded bus in which the patient was riding was pushed over onto its side by the terrorist, injuring, trapping, and terrifying the passengers and causing gasoline to leak. Guided by his therapist, the patient entered an immersive computer-generated virtual world to go "back" to the scene of the traumatic event to help him gain access to his memories of the event, process and reduce the intensity of the emotions (fear/anger) associated with his pathological memories, and change unhealthy thought patterns. Traumatic memories of childhood abuse and traumatic memories of the bulldozer terrorist attack were treated using imaginal exposure while the patient was in the virtual environment Bus World. The patient showed large posttreatment reductions in PTSD symptoms, and his Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) scores dropped from 79 pretreatment to zero immediately posttreatment, and CAPS was still at zero 6 months later. Although case studies are inconclusive by nature, these encouraging preliminary results suggest that further exploration of the use of virtual reality during modified prolonged exposure for PTSD is warranted. As terrorist attacks increase in frequency and severity worldwide, research is needed on how to minimize the psychological consequences of terrorism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)

The American policy landscape during the George W. Bush administration was shaped by a series of traumatic events that confronted the nation and people of the United States. These included the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in 2001, the anthrax attacks in the fall of 2001, military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the threat of a flu pandemic in 2005 and 2006, the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, and the financial collapse of 2008. The results of the 2008 presidential election appear to be a rejection of the Bush administration's major policy responses to these events, but the variation in type and level of public support among different groups suggests a much more varied and dynamic portrait of America in turbulent times. Using a multiyear panel survey, an interdisciplinary team of political scientists and psychologists analyzed the behavior and political responses to the events by the American public. The findings suggest that even seven years after the events of 11 September 2001, people with higher levels of post-traumatic stress symptomatology related to 9/11 have significantly different interpretations of the threat of terrorism and the appropriate policy responses to it than do others. Perceptions of threat, the political salience of terrorism and other traumatic events, the level of support for political leaders and assessments of the government's actions vary over time and across different groups within society based on the psychological, political and social, and personal characteristics of the respondent. These results help to open the black box of aggregate public opinion by providing a detailed portrait of how psychological, social, political, and personal factors affected perceptions and political behavior during the George W. Bush administration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)