Fear of terrorism following the September 11th attacks continues to impact the mental health of American citizens on a micro-level, shows a new study focusing not on New Yorkers, but rather, Midwesterners.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago assessed the effects of the attacks on these subjects using mail-in surveys over the course of two years. They found that 30 percent of respondents reported feeling very pessimistic about world peace and 27.6 percent felt less confident that the government could not protect them.
These negative beliefs and other terrorist-related fears were associated with significantly increased levels of depression, anxiety, hostility and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). In men, these fears were also associated with drinking to the point of intoxication, while women were more likely to drink to escape.
ABSTRACT: Macrolevel Stressors, Terrorism, and Mental Health Outcomes: Broadening the Stress Paradigm
del.icio.us |
digg |
FURL |
Netscape |
reddit |
Stumble! |
My Web
