Terrorist attacks, mental health

Soon after these events, the deluge of patient calls to family physicians following the anthrax attacks in October 2001, mostly from the nnexposed yet anxions patients, illnstrated the critical role primary care physicians play in responding to patient anxieties regarding terrorism, real and imagined. This chapter discnsses the epidemiology of mental health conditions subsequent to terrorist events, followed by treatment and prevention recommendations for primary care physicians. 

Studies following two recent terrorist attacks in the United States, the April 1995 Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing and the September 11 World Trade Center attack in New York City, have shed some additional light on the mental health outcomes following terrorist events. 

Diagnosis of Mental Health Symptoms Following Terrorist Attacks... 

To address the myriad of issues a chemical attack would present to a community, a response template plan with national applicabihfy, referred to as the Off-Site Triage, Treatment and Transport Center, was formulated. The concept was designed to address the non-critical and non-exposed patients who can be expected to seek medical help. This concept requires the set-up of an ancillary medical fadhty to handle the large number of walking wounded and worried well casualties that are expected from a terrorist attack. The facihty would be a temporary site that supplements existing assets, since many of these centers can be set-up as are deemed necessary. The care envisioned to be provided in such a center includes decontamination, initial entry into the medical care system for patients not processed at the scene, care for non-critical patients, transportation to medical facilities for patients in need, and mental health care. 

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