SOC363: 11. Traumatic Historical Events Flashcards
Terrorism
A¯o
Terrorism
- Unanticipated
- Emphasizes& vulnerability
- Generalized& threat
Terrorism
- Systemic& meaning
- Highest& level& of&context
- National& scope
EFFECT OF 9/11: RESEARCH ON TERRORISM
after 2001, significant increase in terrorism research
switch to focus on macro events
CHANGES IN THE CONDUCT OF SOCIAL LIFE
Homeland& Security&Act
• Airport& Security
• Incarceration& without& Cause& &(“Gitmo”)
CHANGES IN THE CONDUCT OF SOCIAL LIFE
- New&Forms&of&War&(drones..)
- Lost&Beliefs& (Assumptions)& about& Invulnerability
- Generalized& State&of&Threat
CHANGES IN THE CONDUCT OF SOCIAL LIFE
• Mistrust,& Paranoia& Reasoning
paris attacks reenergized discussion around issues
rationals for phobia
PSYCHOANALYTIC UNDERSTANDING OF TERRORISM
What is terrifying about terrorism? (Twemlow, 2004):
Expression of unqualified power; taking power
Methods unusual, unanticipated, sometimes unprecedented.
PSYCHOANALYTIC UNDERSTANDING OF TERRORISM
Completely unpredictable.
Randomness of targets — “innocent civilians.”
Absence of clear meaning or sense.
PSYCHOANALYTIC UNDERSTANDING OF TERRORISM
The understanding gap between the perspectives of “terrorists” and the targeted population.
Loss of fundamental beliefs about security and sanctity of space.
Unsafe world where anything can happen.
Terrorism and Its Consequences
Violent and often gruesome act intended to do physical harm to its immediate victims and psychological harm to those who witnessed it in such a manner as also to inflict extreme beer, indeed terror, among those were targeted usually for purposes of influencing public opinion or public policy
Terrorism and Its Consequences
Includes:
Hijacking, Sabotage, Bombings, Kidnapping, Torture, Mass murder, and Assassinations
Mental Health consequences specific to the type of stress:
Terrorism and Its Consequences
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (primarily)
Depression
Anxiety
Distress
PTSD Criteria (DSM-IV)
Criterion A:
Exposure to a traumatic event in which the “person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event” involving “actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others.” and “the person’s response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p. 467).
PTSD Criteria (DSM-IV)
Criterion B:
Sense of re-experiencing the same event ( images, memories).
Criterion C:
Avoidance of things associated with the event.
PTSD Criteria (DSM-IV)
Criterion D:
Generalized arousal in situations unrelated to the original event.
PTSD Criteria (DSM-IV)
Criterion E: …for at least one month.
Criterion F: …..functional impairment
latency: occurs over time
Research
Abenhaim et al., (1992):
Bombings in France 1982-1987
Seriously injured survivors had three times the rate of PTSD (30%) compared to moderately injured(8%) or noninjured (10%).
Research
Hobfoll et al., (1994).
First Gulf War SCUD missile attacks on Israel from Iraq.
Depression higher during attacks than before or after. “Self-limiting”, therefore not serious.
Research
Gidron et al. (1999).
Anxiety among bus commuters in Israel: important clues
Anxiety higher among those who commuted less often (resilience an issue?).
Research
Problem-focused coping related to higher anxiety.
Suspicion, awareness of threat, increases anxiety
not deemed serious, self limiting (brief)
who avoided threat => increase anxiety
Oklahoma City Bombing (1995)
Federal building bombed, 168 died, including many children.
Pffeferbaum (2002): typical emphasis on “dosage” of exposure (proximity, involvement in the event) not as relevant in very public events.
Oklahoma City Bombing (1995)
Vulnerable populations (evaluate the event as threatening) may be affected whether or not proximal to the event. Trautman (2002) : Asian and Middle Eastern immigrants in Oklahoma City who had experienced previous trauma before immigration were highly affected, in terms of PTSD. Multiple Exposures multiply effects.
Oklahoma City Bombing (1995)
Sprang (2001) : vicarious stress: symptoms of PTSD did not decline after event even if not directly exposed.
growth of media in communication of events internationally
accumulation of life traumas
ppl vicariously experience it through media and could get PTDSD even when haven’t experienced it ourselves
9/11
Galea et al. (2003):
PTSD higher immediately after the attack, but declined at six months. Again: self-resolving. Implies a temporary change.
9/11
Shuster et al (2004):
Immediate impact was national: exposure through media was enough to result in PTSD symptoms.
9/11
Knudsen et al., (2005)
A cross-sectional study with before / after scheduling of interviews around 9/11 to compare cases vs. controls on two outcomes. But, just 3 month follow-up.
Depression spiked and then returned to previous levels
9/11
Breslau (2005): “the mental health crisis that wasn’t.”
mental health problems only temporary issue
by month 3 returned to normal levels
findings suggest short term effect
crisis for those highly afftect
Key Issues
Issue of meaning of exposure:
Direct injury
Distance from attack
Key Issues
Length of time since attack
Life history of exposure
Media coverage : the equalizer that reduces distance.
Key Issues
The issue of growth from the experience:
Re-calibration of existing life conditions and relationships.
Breadth of outcomes: beyond PTSD?
Other Outcomes
Beyond the mental health outcomes, is there a package of “subjective welfare” that is affected broadly? Psychosocial resources (social and personal): Are they better or worse? Not clear from the research to date.
Other Outcomes
Post-traumatic growth:
“positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances” (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004, p. 1).
Other Outcomes
Positive changes in the self, in philosophy of life, in relations with others.
BUT: It can represent actual psychological growth and resiliency or a hollow effort to believe something good must come out of the events as a way of justifying tragedy.
Other Outcomes
Beyond the mental health outcomes, is there a package of “subjective welfare” that is affected broadly? Psychosocial resources (social and personal): Are they better or worse? Not clear from the research to date.
Other Outcomes
Post-traumatic growth:
“positive psychological change experienced as a result of the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances” (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004, p. 1).
Other Outcomes
Positive changes in the self, in philosophy of life, in relations with others.
BUT: It can represent actual psychological growth and resiliency or a hollow effort to believe something good must come out of the events as a way of justifying tragedy.
Other Outcomes
subjective wellfare
grown since traumatic event
psychological and resilience growth
The Effect of 9/11 on the Subjective Welfare of Americans:
Wheaton and Montazer (2011)
Subjective welfare df:
a constellation of both inter-related and independent subjectively defined states of experience, including affect, cognition, beliefs, and hopes, that together act as a comprehensive set of markers of the aggregate influence of social and economic conditions, interpersonal reality, and past biography. ”
The Effect of 9/11 on the Subjective Welfare of Americans:
Wheaton and Montazer (2011)
Or: A comprehensive checklist of how we are doing.
Components:
Mental Health: Depression , Anger , Frequency of Drinking (monthly)
The Effect of 9/11 on the Subjective Welfare of Americans:
Wheaton and Montazer (2011)
Satisfaction: Satisfaction with Public Life
Relationships: Arguments and Disagreements, Satisfaction with Relationships.
The Effect of 9/11 on the Subjective Welfare of Americans:
Wheaton and Montazer (2011)
Psychosocial Resources: Giving / Receiving Social Support to / from Others, Sense of control, Self-esteem, Self-satisfaction (appearance, health, life achievements), Sense of Coherence (Hope, Purpose in Life)
The Effect of 9/11 on the Subjective Welfare of Americans:
Wheaton and Montazer (2011)
sometimes diff parts of subjective experiecence don’t add up well
The Uniqueness of 9/11
An attack on fundamental institutional symbols, on a “way of life.”
Continental U.S. under direct attack.
The Uniqueness of 9/11
The enemy is not a state, but a group, geographically dispersed.
National scope of the event.
The Uniqueness of 9/11
New innovations in weaponry and methods used in the attack.
Live real-time unfolding of the event.
The Uniqueness of 9/11
Fundamental shift in belief paradigms about vulnerability.
Expectations of repeated threat.
The enemy is external, not within.
Media imprinting (like the Kennedy assassination..)
The Literature on Terrorist Events and Disasters:
Broad Tendencies
Many to study in recent years:
Columbine, Chernobyl, Oklahoma City, Katrina, 9/11, Virginia Tech, Haitian earthquake, Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Newtown shooting.
