RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: After 9/11: Stress and Coping Across America

As survivors of natural disasters, violent crimes, and war attest, people who are victims or witnesses of a traumatic event often experience symptons of stress, sometimes for years after. But events in recent years have taught us that individuals need not be present at a catastrophic event to experience stress symptoms. The terrorist attacks that shook the United States on September 11, 2001 were immediately broadcast on TV screens across the nation. Remarkable video footage that showed the events and their aftermath in graphic detail was repeatedly aired after the attacks. Many Americans may have identified with the victims or perceived the unprecedented attacks as directed at themselves as well. Thus, even people who were nowhere near the locations of the attacks might have experienced substantial stress responses.