Summary: A new population-wide study examines how the September 11, 2001 attacks affected mental health well beyond the United States, documenting measurable effects on psychiatric diagnoses in Denmark.
Source: Aarhus University.
A recent nationwide study from Denmark finds a clear, immediate rise in trauma- and stressor-related disorders (such as adjustment disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder) in the weeks and months following the September 11, 2001 attacks, despite Denmark not being directly affected by the events.
The research, funded by the Carlsberg Foundation, was conducted by political scientists and medical researchers from Aarhus University, the University of Copenhagen, and Stanford University. It was published online ahead of print in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
The authors conclude that their results “sadly confirm that one of the alleged purposes of (certain types of) terrorism – to generate mass-scale attention and intimidation – is in fact achieved.” The study highlights how distant populations can experience measurable psychological consequences after major terrorist events.
Specifically, the study reports a 16 percent increase in diagnoses of trauma- and stressor-related disorders recorded by Danish psychiatric services in the week immediately following the 9/11 attacks. The effect endured for months: about six months after the attacks, incidence remained roughly 5 percent above baseline, and it took about a year before rates returned to typical levels.
The researchers discuss the likely role of mass media in spreading stress-inducing information across borders. They note that the “extra-national” deterioration in mental health observed in Denmark underscores how media coverage can transmit traumatic content to populations far removed from the site of an attack. Given the visual, immediate, and global reach of today’s internet-based media, they suggest that similar future incidents could have even stronger psychological effects internationally.
Funding: This study was funded by the Carlsberg Foundation.
Contact / Source: Bertel T. Hansen, Aarhus University.
Image Source: The illustrative image is provided for context and is credited as public-domain in the original release.
Original Research: Abstract for “Increased Incidence Rate of Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders in Denmark After the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks in the United States” by Bertel T. Hansen, Søren D. Østergaard, Kim M. Sønderskov, and Peter T. Dinesen, published in American Journal of Epidemiology (published online September 8, 2016). DOI: 10.1093/aje/kww089.
Aarhus University. “9/11 Impacted Mental Health Far Beyond US Borders.” Neuroscience News. Published September 11, 2016. Original research published in American Journal of Epidemiology (2016).
Abstract
Increased Incidence Rate of Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders in Denmark After the September 11, 2001, Terrorist Attacks in the United States
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks had profound physical and psychological consequences for Americans, but less is known about their effects on populations in other countries. To examine the broader aftermath, researchers analyzed Denmark’s national psychiatric register from 1995 through 2012 and applied a time-series intervention design to estimate changes in incidence rates of mental disorders following 9/11. From 1,448,250 contacts with psychiatric services, the study identified an immediate 16% rise in trauma- and stressor-related diagnoses after the attacks. This increase diminished over the following year, returning to baseline approximately twelve months after 9/11. No comparable increases were observed for other diagnostic categories, consistent with the role of severe external stressors in the development of trauma- and stressor-related disorders. The findings indicate that the psychological impact of terrorist attacks can extend across national borders, affecting people with no direct connection to the events.
Study authors: Bertel T. Hansen, Søren D. Østergaard, Kim M. Sønderskov, and Peter T. Dinesen. Published online September 8, 2016. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kww089.