Social issues in the management of released hostages

Mental health clinicians have assumed a more important role in the release of individuals held hostage by international terrorists. The author uses his experiences during three hostage releases in the late 1980s--the Achille Lauro incident, the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan, and the release of a single hostage from Beirut--to illustrate important factors in managing victims. He describes an intervention model that emphasizes the importance of creating a healing social environment immediately after release. Such an environment encourages strong cohesiveness within the victim group, isolates the victims from external groups, promotes abreaction, and provides an opportunity for rest and replenishment. Interventions are made to restore a sense of power to the victims and to reduce their feelings of isolation and helplessness and of being dominated by the terrorists.