Abstract
Objectives: To examine psychological impact of the September 11th disaster on the immediate neighborhood of the New York World Trade Center.
Methods: 555 residents from the local Chinatown community participated in the study. They were surveyed retrospectively on their emotional distress immediately after the tragedy and five months later.
Results: Prevalent anxiety was found in general community residents and additional depression in those who lost family members or friends. The mental health condition of the community improved tremendously five months later, with the initial 59% of general residents having 4 or more emotional symptoms dropping to 17%. However, More than half of the community residents had persistently shown one or more symptoms of emotional distress. Those who had lost a family member or friend in the disaster showed significantly higher distress, with 90% of them had four or more major psychiatric symptoms during the first few weeks right after the disaster, and the rate dropped to 35% five months later. Overall, those in their 40s and 50s seemed to have had relatively higher emotional distress than both younger and older groups.
Discussion: Methodological limitations were discussed concerning retrospective reporting and sample characteristics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Adams, S.M., Dolfie, E.K., Feren, S.S., Love, R.A., Taylor, S.W. (1999). Mental health disaster response: nursing interventions across the life span. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 37, 11‐ 9.
Bolton, D., O'Ryan, D., Udwin, O., Boyle, S., Yule, W. (2000). The long‐ term psychological effects of a disaster experienced in adolescence: II: General psychopathology. Journal of Child Psychological Psychiatry, 41, 513‐ 23.
Chemtob, C.M., Nakashima, J.P., and Hamada, R.S. (2002). Psychosocial intervention for postdisaster trauma symptoms in elementary school children: a controlled community field study. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 156, 208‐ .
Chung, M.C., Farmer, S., Werrett, J., Easthope, Y., and Chung, C. (2001). Traumatic stress and ways of coping of community residents exposed to a train disaster. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 35, 528‐ 524.
Figley, C.R., and Kleber, R.J. (1995). Beyond the “victim”: secondary traumatic stress. In R.J. Kleber, C.R. Figley, and B.P.R. Gersons (Eds), Beyond Trauma. New York: Plenum.
Glesser, G.C., Green, B.L., Winget, C.N. (1981). Prolonged effects of disaster: A study of Buffalo Creek. New York: Academic.
Leong, Frederick T.L. & Lau, S. L. (2001) Barriers to Providing Effective Mental Health Services to Asian Americans. Mental Health Services Research, 3, 201‐ 214.
Lindy, J.D., Grace, M.C., & Green, B.L. (1981). Survivors: outreach to a reluctant population. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 51, 468‐ 78.
Ursano, R.J., McCaughey, B.G., Fullerton, C.S. (1994). Individual and community responses to trauma and disaster. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, H., Chung, H., Chen, T. et al. Brief Report: The Emotional Distress in a Community After the Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center. Community Ment Health J 39, 157–165 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022614821300
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022614821300