The 9/11 terrorist attack and posttraumatic stress disorder revisited

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Previous research indicated elevated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rates following the 9/11 attacks, linked to indirect media exposure.
• Estimates varied widely, suggesting a need for further investigation into the specific impact of indirect exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the prevalence of PTSD among individuals indirectly exposed to the 9/11 terrorist attacks via media coverage.
• To compare PTSD risk associated with indirect 9/11 exposure to other traumatic events.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2004-2005 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave 2 (n = 34,653).
• Included indirect exposure to 9/11 through media as a listed traumatic event.
• Identified the index traumatic event for PTSD diagnosis, focusing on indirect 9/11 exposure.

Main Results:

• Indirect exposure to 9/11 had the lowest PTSD risk (1.3%) among all listed traumatic events.
• In a subset with only indirect 9/11 exposure (n=3981), PTSD risk was 0.3%.
• Overall, 0.7% of the total sample experienced PTSD related to indirect 9/11 exposure.

Conclusions:

• Indirect media exposure to 9/11 was associated with a lower risk of developing PTSD compared to other traumatic events.
• The findings suggest that the psychological impact of indirect exposure may be less severe than initially estimated.
• Further research is warranted to explore factors contributing to these lower prevalence rates.