How To Help After National Catastrophes: Findings Following 9/11

Abstract

This article found elevated levels of trauma symptoms related to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in students at a university in Northern California. In an analogue comparison, the impact on trauma symptoms of 2 interventions—journal writing and story listening—was examined. College students were randomly assigned to write about their emotional reactions to 9/11 or to listen to stories evoking themes relevant to the national tragedy. Participants in both conditions reported significant improvements in trauma symptoms on the final day of each condition. Students with prior bereavement had greater improvements in trauma symptoms on 1 measure in the story listening condition. The implications of these findings for the use of exposure-based interventions in the treatment of trauma are discussed.