3. The Psychological Effects of Terrorism Flashcards
one of the hallmarks of terrorism is the desire to
instill fear
the focus of much of the research on terrorism has been on the
psychological effects of it
Terror attacks are designed to elicit a strong
physical, emotional and psychological response
A general four-phase model of response to terrorism was proposed by Benedek, Ursano and Holloway (2005) and is outlined in the table below:
Immediate aftermath
1 week – several months
Several months
Months - years
Immediate aftermath
Strong emotional reactions such as disbelief, numbness, fear, and confusion.
1 week – several months
Involves active efforts to adapt to the new environment. Intrusive and hyperarousal symptoms may be present, along with somatic symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea. People may also experience anger, irritability and social withdrawal.
Several months
Emergence of disappointment and resentment as it becomes evident that aid and restoration is unlikely to lead to complete return to pre-attack status.
Months - years
A reconstruction phase typified by physical and emotional re-building, resumption of old roles, re-establishing social connections.
Summers & Winefield, 2009) found that _____ of the teenagers sampled reported elevated anxiety about war and terrorism
90%
(Aly & Green, 2010) examined terrorism-related anxiety in the community found that
it went beyond simply feeling worried that a terrorist attack would occur
The four main themes that generated terrorism-related anxiety amongst the sample in (Aly & Green, 2010).
Anxiety relating to being physically harmed;
Political fear, which relates to anxiety about the social consequences that communal fear generates by targeting and demonising one element within society;
Fear of losing civil liberties;,
A sense of insecurity brought about by a feeling of reduced safety (Aly & Green, 2010).
There is some evidence to suggest that rates of depression are slightly elevated after
a terrorist attack
Galea et al. (2002) reported an increase in depression from ______ in New York in the two months after September 11
6.6% to 9.7%
Deschepper et al. (2018) found a positive association between ________ in a sample of participants from Belgium in the week following the March 2016 bombings that occurred around Brussels.
perceived threat and depressive symptoms
The risk of developing depression in response to terrorism is increased by
female gender, low social support, the experience of other stressors, and co-morbidity with another psychological disorder (e.g., PTSD, panic)
evidence suggests that there is an increase in substance use amongst people who are
victims of terrorism
Vlahov, Galea, Ahern, Resnick, and Kilpatrick (2004) found that residents of New York increased their use of _______ in the 6 months after the September 11 attacks
alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana
from ______ were reported in New York residents post September 11 (
11.2-20%
_______ of Spanish people reported PTSD post 2004 Madrid train bombing
2.3%
Rudenstein and Calea (2015) recommend the following three-phase approach to intervention in response to terrorism:
- Normalisation of heightened fear and anxiety within the first few days of the terrorist event. No need for formal intervention at this point as most symptoms will resolve on their own.
- Screening for high-risk individuals, accompanied by ongoing normalisation and information provision. This will involve consideration of the variables that increase the risk of developing PTSD, ASD, anxiety, depression and problematic substance use.
- Referral of symptomatic individuals who meet clinical indicators of disorder to professional services.
Bonanno, Galea, Bucciarelli, and Vlahov (2006) found that ______ of a sample of almost 3,000 adults who resided in New York City during 9/11 demonstrated resilience in the ________
65% , 6 months following the attacks
Conservation of Resources Theory was developed as a theory to explain
stress reactions and has become one of the leading theories of stress and trauma since it’s development
COR maintains that
psychological stress is the result of a real or perceived loss of resources
CBT is based on the premise that our cognitions
influence our feelings, which in turn, influences our behaviour
Cognitive distortions are exaggerated and often illogical thought patterns and have been consistently associated with
diminished psychological functioning and greater levels of depression and anxiety
In the context of terrorism, the CBT approach argues that psychopathology results because
the event challenges our cognitions, resulting in the development of cognitive distortions that, in turn, impact on emotions and behaviours
Catastrophising
expecting the worst to happen and expecting that the consequence to be disastrous if it does occur
Helplessness
a sense of being powerless that results after repeated failure or exposure to a traumatic event
Rumination
rumination is the process of repeatedly thinking about a problem or event. Although not a cognitive distortion in and of itself, greater rumination of distorted thoughts enhances them.
A 2016 study by Jenness and colleagues examined PTSD symptoms in a sample of adolescents who were living in the Boston area during the 2013 Marathon bombing. Greater levels of
rumination and catastrophising predicted greater levels of PTSD, but only when exposed to greater media reporting of the attacks.
