2004 MAR 8 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The number of Americans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms increased after the September 11 terror attacks and a year later remained higher than previous rates of the condition, according to a new report.
About a year after the attacks, about 5-8% of people surveyed nationally reported symptoms like angry outbursts, trouble sleeping and problems with concentration. The usual age of Americans with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms is 36, said Dong-Chul Seo, PhD, and Mohammad R. Torabi, PhD, MPH, of Indiana University in the American Journal of Health Education.
Half of those surveyed also said they were more concerned about their personal safety since the attacks. Twenty-two percent said they felt like their lives were in 'increased danger' since September 11, 2001.
The numbers indicate that Americans have gone through a collective emotional change that may 'have mixed implications for public health,' according to the researchers.
'It may be helpful in coping with perceived threats due to better preparation for potential terrorist attacks and by increased cohesiveness among the public in general. But it may lead to a collective failure to move ahead, for example, by binding the present to the past traumatic experiences,' Seo said.
The survey included 807 people ages 18 or older, chosen at random from a nationally representative sample. Participants were asked if they had experienced a variety of emotional problems and fears directly after September 11 and whether those same feelings and fears persisted 10-12 months later.
Women were more likely than men to feel upset and irritable and to report lost sleep and ability to concentrate right after the attacks. The gap disappeared over time, however, with no significant differences between men and women a year later.
People between the ages of 30-64 experienced more emotional problems and fearfulness than their younger and older counterparts. Black and Hispanic survey participants, along with the unemployed, were also more apt to report emotional disturbances and fears about traveling after the attacks.
Seo and Torabi warned that the continued sense of unease could spill over into Americans' physical health, causing more people to visit their doctors with symptoms that have their roots in psychological distress.
'This distress mainly arises from anger and fear of the unknown, such as fear that a terrorist attack may happen any time, any place, without warning, and the level of the distress may not easily subside due to the ongoing war against terrorism,' Seo said.
This article was prepared by Mental Health Weekly Digest editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2004, Mental Health Weekly Digest via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net.
