Victims of the Terrorist Attacks in Belgium and Professional Mental Health Aid Barriers: A Qualitative Study

Overmeire, Roel Van; Muysewinkel, Emilie; Keer, Rose-Lima Van; Vesentini, Lara; Bilsen, Johan

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.638272

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In the literature, it is well-known that people who have social support are more willing to access health care. 19,31 Along these lines, this study indicates that the absence of PS in the immediate period was more likely among those who reported not being able to count on someone to help with daily life. Conversely, the absence of PS in the medium-term was significantly more marked among those who did not feel socially isolated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Short-Term Psychological Support for Civilians Exposed to the January 2015 Terrorist Attacks in France

Vuillermoz

Prieto²,

Pirard³

et al. 2022

Prehosp. Disaster med.

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Introduction:Following a terrorist attack, responses to a psychosocial disaster range from low-intensity initiatives to high-intensity treatment. Some studies described post-disaster psychosocial services and planning across Europe. However, little is known about the psychosocial support (PS) actually delivered after terrorist attacks.Study Objective:This study assesses prevalence and the factors associated with not receiving short-term PS among terror-exposed people with probable mental health disorders following the January 2015 terrorist attacks in France.Methods:This study used data from the first wave of a longitudinal survey conducted six months after the attacks. Prevalence and factors associated with not receiving PS were described in the immediate period (48 hours), the early post-immediate period (48 hours-one week), and the medium-term (over one week) using a robust Poisson regression for each of the three periods.Results:Nearly one-half of the participants (N = 189) did not receive PS in any period (46.6% in the immediate period, 45.5% in the early post-immediate period, and 54.5% in the medium-term). In each period, not receiving PS was associated with not being very close to the attack sites. Not receiving PS in the immediate period was also associated with being a direct witness (DW) rather than being directly threatened (DT) and not having support in daily life; in the early post-immediate period, not receiving PS was associated with not having a peri-traumatic dissociation experience and being followed for a psychological problem before the attacks; and in the medium-term period, it was associated with perceived social isolation.Conclusion:The characteristics of the terror exposure and social support seemed to influence presence or absence of PS after the terrorist attack and highlight the need for strategies to reach out to people regardless of the type of exposure.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Short-Term Psychological Support for Civilians Exposed to the January 2015 Terrorist Attacks in France

Vuillermoz

Prieto²,

Pirard³

et al. 2022

Prehosp. Disaster med.

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“…The relatively large dataset also adds to the strength of the study. Finally, for public health interventions and therapists, the insights of this study are invaluable, as very few studies try to provide insight into what emergency responders go through during their action, which is important, as victims, in general, have noted that they have the feeling of not being understood by therapists or their social support ( 17 ). Further studies should try to differentiate even more between the different stressors and post-action response, especially in the long term.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These attacks were followed by a bombing in a metro station in Brussels. All over Belgium, emergency responders had to help victims of the attacks in a situation of constant threat, both at the place of the scene and at the hospitals ( 17 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A day in the life: psychological impact on emergency responders during the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks

Muysewinkel,

Vesentini,

Van Deynse

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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IntroductionTerrorist attacks can cause severe long-term mental health issues that need treatment. However, in the case of emergency responders, research is often vague on the type of stressors that emergency responders encounter. For example, in addition to the threat that they work under, studies have shown that ill-preparation adds to the stress experienced by emergency responders. However, few studies have looked into the experience of emergency responders. In this study, we looked at the experience of emergency responders during the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks in Belgium.MethodsWe used a qualitative design, in which we interviewed different types of emergency responders. Police officers, nurses, soldiers, firefighters, and Red Cross volunteers were included. Interviews were coded by two researchers and analyzed using a thematic approach.ResultsFour large themes were developed: constant threat and chaos, frustrations with lack of preparedness and training, ethical decisions, and debriefings. In addition, although emergency responders encountered constant threat, they often felt that they were ill-prepared for such attacks. One specific example was their lack of training in tourniquet usage. Furthermore, in a disaster setting, the emergency responders had to make life-and-death decisions for which they were not always prepared. Finally, debriefings were conducted in the aftermath of the attacks. Whereas most were perceived as positive, the debriefings among police officers were viewed as insufficient.ConclusionsEmergency responding to terrorist attacks has many different dimensions of events that can cause stress. Our study revealed that preparation is key, not only in terms of material but also in terms of ethics and debriefings.

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“…Furthermore, pre-trauma data have rarely been available, yet a baseline assessment is essential to estimate the true impact of an event. Moreover, prior research has often relied on self-reported information on health service utilization, which may be unspecific and prone to recall bias [ 24 – 27 ]. More detailed, accurate and objective data on affected individuals’ utilization of different types of health services are needed to strengthen the public health preparedness and response to terrorist attacks and similar events.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthcare utilization after mass trauma: a register-based study of consultations with primary care and mental health services in survivors of terrorism

et al. 2022

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Background Knowledge on healthcare utilization after mass trauma is needed to strengthen the public health preparedness to such incidents. Using register-based data, this study had a unique opportunity to investigate how young survivors’ use of primary care physicians (PCP) and mental health services (MHS) changed after a terrorist attack. Methods We examined register-based data on PCP and MHS consultations among 255 survivors (52% male) of the 2011 Utøya youth camp attack in Norway 3 years before and after the attack, and their reason for encounter with the PCP according to the International Classification for Primary Care (ICPC− 2). Results The PCP and MHS consultation rates (CR) were higher in female than male survivors both acutely and at long-term. The mean yearly CRs increased from 2.25 to 4.41 for PCP and 1.77 to 13.59 for MHS the year before and after the attack in female survivors, and from 1.45 to 3.65 for PCP and 1.02 to 11.77 for MHS in male survivors. The third year post-attack CRs for PCP were 3.55 and 2.00; and CRs for MHS were 5.24 and 2.30 in female and male survivors, respectively. Among female survivors, 76% consulted PCP and 12% MHS the year preceding the attack; post-attack 93% consulted PCP and 73% MHS the first year; decreasing to 87 and 40% the third year. Among male survivors, 61% consulted PCP and 7% MHS the year preceding the attack; post-attack 86% consulted PCP and 61% MHS the first year, and 67 and 31% the third year. As for PCP consultations, there was a particular increase in psychological reasons for encounter following the attack. Conclusions This study indicates that it is important to anticipate an increased healthcare utilization several years following mass trauma, particularly of MHS. Both PCP and MHS practitioners played important roles in providing healthcare for psychological problems in young survivors of terrorism in a country with universal and largely publicly financed healthcare and a gatekeeping system. The healthcare utilization could be different in countries with other health systems or psychosocial care responses to mass trauma.

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Victims of the Terrorist Attacks in Belgium and Professional Mental Health Aid Barriers: A Qualitative Study

Cited by 9 publications

References 28 publications

Short-Term Psychological Support for Civilians Exposed to the January 2015 Terrorist Attacks in France

Short-Term Psychological Support for Civilians Exposed to the January 2015 Terrorist Attacks in France

A day in the life: psychological impact on emergency responders during the 22 March 2016 terrorist attacks

Healthcare utilization after mass trauma: a register-based study of consultations with primary care and mental health services in survivors of terrorism

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