Nationwide Longitudinal Study of Psychological Responses to September 11

Abstract

Most people encounter stressful events that can alter the course of their lives. Clinicians often see the mental and physical health consequences of such events.¹ On September 11, 2001, everyone in the United States was exposed to an incident unprecedented in scope and traumatic impact. Tens of thousands of people directly witnessed the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center (WTC) and the Pentagon; others viewed the attacks and their aftermath via the media—most within half an hour after they occurred.² It has been argued that this national trauma "influenced and will continue to influence the clinical presentation of patients seeking health care services" across the country³ and that it offers "an unfortunate opportunity to find out more about what something like this does to a country as a whole."⁴