Ten Things Every Psychologist Should Know About Treating Psychological Disorders in Victims of Terrorism

Terrorism remains one of the most serious global problems, affecting a very large number of people, a significant percentage of whom can suffer psychological disorders arising from a terrorist attack. The purpose of this article is to describe the current state of scientific knowledge about these psychological disorders and their treatment.

Systematic narrative or meta-analytical reviews of the scientific literature on the subject published between 2010 and 2020 were searched for in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and PTSDpubs.

The search located 16 systematic reviews whose findings were analyzed, leading to ten conclusions about the most common psychological disorders and their progression, the type and percentage of victims who will be most affected by them, and the most effective and useful treatments for those disorders during the various phases following an attack.

After a terrorist attack, both direct and indirect victims will need short- and mid-term psychological care and follow up. Direct victims, the direct relatives of any deceased, and other victims significantly exposed to the attack or its consequences, will also need long- and very long-term care and follow up. Currently, trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapies are the treatment of choice for victims in the rescue, recovery, and return-to-life phases.