Psychological Impact of Terrorism: Coping and Recovery Strategies

1. Psychological aspects of terrorism Barbara Juen Michael Lindenthal Austrian Red Cross; University of Innsbruck

2. From a psychological point of view,Terrorism aims at … • Creating • Mass anxiety • Helplessness, demoralisation • Social disruption • Demonstrating • Impotence and incompetence of the authorities

3. Motivating factors (Alexander, 2006) Revenge Renown Reaction Atrocities Publicity Excessive security Injustices Martyrdom Over-reactions Humiliation Glory Social conflict

4. Differences between terrorist attacks and natural disasters • Shattered assumptions of world and especially about other persons – more loss of trust in world and others after terrorist attacks than after natural disasters • Higher impact on a larger group of persons; also those who were not really near the event or lost somebody may show severe stress reactions (especially when nuclear/biological/chemical weapons are used – e.g. sarin-attacks 1995 in Japan)

5. Single attacks versus long lasting conflict • Single terrorist attacks (e.g. Madrid, London bombing) Shock, numbing, fear • Long lasting conflict (e.g. Northern Ireland, Palestine) No possibility to regain trust and feeling of safety, at the same time chronic conflict becomes part of everyday life →Useful adaption/coping of individuals can vary greatly between these two types of political violence

6. Risk perception • If emotionality is high, probability tends to be overestimated • From the point of view of the public, probability and emotionality have to be both taken into account • Terrorist attacks are low probability/high emotionality events

7. Disaster PsychologyPhases of Response to Disaster Time Weeks Months „Honeymoon“ Level of Adjustement Impact Warning Desillusionment Enhanced Community and Individual Adjustement Previous Level of Adjustement „Second disaster“ (Raphael [1986] “When disaster strikes”)

8. Individual reactions (impact phase) • Shock, numbing, altruism • Needs for rescue,information, manageable tasks →personal safety

9. Individual reactions (acute phase) • First understanding of what has happened, anger, guilt feelings, fear, sadness…….. • Needs for information, rituals, empowerment →personal safety

10. Individual reactions (recovery phase) • Up and down • From confrontation to avoidance and denial; from honeymoon to desillusion, frustration and impatience • Trying to work through the experience, to regain understanding, control, meaningfulness, trust • Needs for information, daily routines, public recognition, financial support, empowerment →personalsafety

11. 7th July London Bombings (Dix, 2006) • Four different disasters (groups of affected people) • Who was affected? • Survivors • Bereaved • Frontline responders • Wider community • Different needs of different groups

12. What were their psychosocial needs? (Dix, 2006)

13. Try to keep the balance between SecurityCivil liberties PreparationPreoccupation ForewarningCreating unnecessary anxiety (Alexander, 2006)

14. Risk Communication • If emotions are involved, do not focus only on giving the correct numbers or other facts • Be careful about emotional aspects (need for subjective security) • Be careful about the amount of affective information given! • Be careful which narratives are used! (black and white descriptions, chaos, revenge, panic, versus rescue, active survivors, help given, organised action)

15. After terrorist attacks: Care leadership(Dyregrov, A.) • Give access to informations and facts • Be in contact and show your own reactions • Formulate and acknowledge the reactions in the community • Show care, warmth, respect • Stimulate ritual expressions • Secure further help

16. Prevention has to take into account people´s need to feel safe • Prevention principle: Keep the balance between risk awareness and feelings of control and safety • Honestly inform people about risks and possible solutions (as well as their limits) • But do not use fear induction as a strategy!

17. Thank you

18. References • Alexander, D. (2006) Psychosocial Aspects of Terrorism, EU Workshop Citizens and Resilience, The Hague, 22.-26. Nov. 2006 • Alexander, D.A. (2005). Early mental health intervention after disasters. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11, 12-18. • Alexander, D.A. & Klein, S. (2006). The challenge of preparation for a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear terrorist attack. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, 52, 126-131. • Bartholomew, R. & Wessely, S. (2002). Protean nature of mass sociogenic illness. From possessed nuns to clinical and biological terrorism fears. British Journal of Psychiatry, 180, 300-306. • Blythe, B.T. (2002). Blindsided. A manager´s guide to catastrophic incidents in the workplace. Penguin Books: New York. • Dix, P. (2006) Citizens and Resilience: Messages from Survivors and the Bereaved, EU Workshop Citizens and Resilience, The Hague, 22.-26. Nov. 2006 • Gibson, M. (2006). Order from chaos. Responding traumatic events (3th Edition). The Policy Press: University of Bristol.

19. References • Raphael, B. (1986). When disaster strikes. Basic Books: New York. • Richardson, L. (2006). What terrorists want. John Murray (Publishers): London. • Rubin, G.J., Brewin, C.R., Greenberg, N., Simpson, J., Wessely, S. (2005). Psychological and behavioural reactions to the bombings in London on 7 July 2005: cross sectional survey of the representative sample of Londoners. BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmj.38583.728484.3A. • Tyhurst, J.S. (1951). Individual reactions to community disaster: the national history of psychiatric phenomenon. American Journal of Psychiatry, 107, 764-769.