The Cost of Commotion: An Analysis of the Psychiatric Sequelae of the 1969 Belfast Riots

Abstract

The 1969 disturbances in Belfast were on a scale unprecedented since 1886. By the end of September, there had been 328 injuries requiring hospital treatment, 8 fatalities, and 113 arrests (1). At least 500 houses had been damaged beyond repair and 4,000 people rendered homeless. Some 200 streets were heavily barricaded and guarded, while much of the city was effectively under military occupation.