Cohort Profile: World Trade Center Health Program General Responder Cohort

Abstract

The World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) General Responder Cohort (the cohort) consists of workers and volunteers who were part of the rescue and recovery effort that followed the 11 September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center towers. Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and Pentagon and Shanksville responders are not included in this cohort but are covered by other similar programmes. This self-selected, open, de facto cohort began to form within a month of 9/11when the rescue and recovery workers began presenting with a variety of respiratory complaints at Mount Sinai's Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 1-4 In 2002, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided funds to provide a one-time medical evaluation, and support for physical and mental health treatment came from philanthropic sources. NIOSH also provided funding, in 2004, for additional medical evaluations and, in 2006, for treatment of both physical and mental health conditions. With the passing of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, 5 more years of medical monitoring and treatment were provided. Who is in the cohort? Estimates of how many rescue and recovery workers and volunteers worked on the WTC effort vary and may never be known, but the City of New York estimate is 91 000. 5,6 As of 31 March 2014, the WTCHP had information on 48 389 potential enrollees (Figure 1), 34 225 of whom were eligible because of their participation in earlier programmes and 3056 more of whom were subsequently deemed eligible. Eligibility criteria are: (i) the person worked or volunteered on the WTC effort for either 4 h

Incidence of mild cognitive impairment in World Trade Center responders: Long‐term consequences of re‐experiencing the events on 9/11/2001

“…Stony Brook University (SBU) operates two clinical centers that provide annual monitoring visits to WTC responders residing on Long Island, NY. Prior analyses have found that the SBU clinic monitors responders who are similar in terms of exposures, PTSD burden, and age on 9/11/2001 to the responder population [1]. In 2014, SBU began the first and only prospective study to date to assess indicators of aging in WTC responders by incorporating cognitive assessments into the monitoring visit [18].…”

Functional Limitations Among Responders to the World Trade Center Attacks 14 Years After the Disaster: Implications of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

“…In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established a monitoring and treatment program for September 11, 2001 rescue and recovery workers. To date, more than 33,000 responders have enrolled in the WTC general responder population (GRP; Dasaro et al., ). Stony Brook University (SBU) monitors more than 8,000 responders primarily residing on Long Island, NY, who are similar in terms of exposure, sex, and age to those enrolled in the GRP (Dasaro et al., ).…”

“…To date, more than 33,000 responders have enrolled in the WTC general responder population (GRP; Dasaro et al., ). Stony Brook University (SBU) monitors more than 8,000 responders primarily residing on Long Island, NY, who are similar in terms of exposure, sex, and age to those enrolled in the GRP (Dasaro et al., ). The responders monitored by SBU are mostly males (92.0%) who, on September 11, 2001, worked mostly in law enforcement (71.5%) and whose average age was 38.9 years; they are now 50 to 60 years of age.…”

“…On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City traumatized many Americans. Rescue workers, volunteers, and other responders who aided in the initial response, recovery operations, and cleanup efforts that resulted from the building collapse experienced both acute and chronic environmental and psychological exposures (Dasaro et al., ). More than one‐fifth of responders developed WTC‐related PTSD, half of whom had PTSD 13 years later (Bromet, Hobbs et al., ).…”

Maladaptive Personality Traits and 10-Year Course of Psychiatric and Medical Symptoms and Functional Impairment Following Trauma

“…Participants came from the Long Island site of the WTC Health Program, which monitors over 8,000 WTC responders from Long Island, NY and provides treatment for WTC-related conditions identified in monitoring [70]. The program began in July 2002 with rolling admission.…”