Pathological Responses to Terrorism

Abstract

Many important gains have been made in understanding PTSD and other responses to trauma as a result of neuroscience-based observations. Yet there are many gaps in our knowledge that currently impede our ability to predict those who will develop pathologic responses. Such knowledge is essential for developing appropriate strategies for mounting a mental health response in the aftermath of terrorism and for facilitating the recovery of individuals and society. This paper reviews clinical and biological studies that have led to an identification of pathologic responses following psychological trauma, including terrorism, and highlights areas of future-research. It is important to not only determine risk factors for the development of short-and long-term mental health responses to terrorism, but also apply these risk factors to the prediction of such responses on an individual level. It is also critical to consider the full spectrum of responses to terrorism, as well as the interplay between biological and psychological variables that contribute to these responses. Finally, it is essential to remove the barriers to collecting data in the aftermath of trauma by creating a culture of education in which the academic community can communicate to the public what is and is not known so that survivors of trauma and terrorism will understand the value of their participation in research to the generation of useful knowledge, and by maintaining the acquisition of knowledge as a priority for the government and those involved in the immediate delivery of services in the aftermath of large-scale disaster or trauma.

Cure therapeutics and strategic prevention: raising the bar for mental health research

“…Shalev and co-workers have tested a transcriptional approach to identify a finger-print for susceptibility; others have recommended specific clinical features of the early stress response that indicate a high likelihood for subsequent PTSD. 38,39 We do not yet have the equivalent of cholesterol or Thallium imaging for PTSD, but the model clearly has promise as there are several behavioral and medical interventions that might preempt the development of PTSD. 40,41 Note that both of these examples require a better understanding of the pathophysiology of mental disorders, not for developing interventions but for identifying risk.…”

A Novel Animal Model Simulating the Beginning of Combat Exposure

“…Extensive studies have been conducted to examine the psychophysiological changes arising from PTSD due to exposure to combat environments and identify methods for successful treatment [1,12,15]. Most studies have focused on the causes of PTSD and methods for treating the symptoms [16].…”

Does terrorism create terror?

“…First, the presence of identical symptoms among subjects who were either directly or indirectly exposed to violence does not necessarily imply that both categories underwent similar experiences, even less that their individual involvement was similar. Yehuda et al (2005Yehuda et al ( , p. 1793 have emphasised that research has so far only partially investigated this question. As they note: 'One of the gaps in our knowledge concerns whether the effects on the mental health of persons indirectly exposed to terrorism are qualitatively or quantitatively different from those who have been directly exposed'.…”