Preventative mental health in disaster situations: "terror on the autobahn"

As part of Return of Forces to Germany 1990, a number of Second Armored Division soldiers participated in the heroic rescue of German and American civilians injured in a 32-vehicle crash on an autobahn in West Germany. Six people were killed and 18 others were seriously injured at the accident site. This paper (1) briefly reviews acute and chronic stress reactions; (2) describes the accident and rescue; (3) emphasizes specific risk factors for the rescuers; and (4) reviews specific preventative actions that were taken to minimize the risk of future psychologic morbidity in these individuals.