In New Yorkers’ nonchalant reaction, there is a counterintuitive kernel of good news. Exposure to repeated acts of terrorism may help habituate people to terrorism, effectively defusing its intended psychological effect: a widespread sense of vulnerability and fear in a community. Shared resilience in the face of danger can even promote a greater sense of communal solidarity.
But even though adapting to terrorism may have psychological and political benefits, it comes at a price. That sense of communal solidarity can result in greater xenophobia and intolerance, and promote social divisions. And although habituation means that people carry on as usual regardless of the threat, that doesn’t mean they don’t feel anxiety or paranoia — instead, low-grade stress can itself become normal. [...]
Research conducted in the aftermath of terrorist attacks has shown that there is usually a spike in the number of people reporting psychological conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder or depression, even if they weren’t directly affected by the attack. A survey carried out in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks found that 44 percent of people in the national sample had some kind of stress reaction associated with PTSD. Similarly, research conducted in the aftermath of the 2005 terrorist bombings in London’s public transportation system found that 31 percent of Londoners reported significant stress in its immediate aftermath.
In these and other similar cases, however, stress levels soon returned to normal, indicating that the attacks hadn’t caused long-term psychological damage. A study conducted in the months after 9/11 found that the incidence of symptoms related to PTSD among people living in the New York metropolitan area had declined substantially. In London, research found stress levels were much lower seven months later. [...]
But Waxman and other researchers agreed that exposure to terrorism changes societies and people and might have other health risks that we’re just starting to uncover. Some psychologists have argued that even though the incidence of psychological conditions like PTSD and depression may decline following terrorist attacks — or even level off in cases of repeated terrorism — an everyday sense of fear and anxiety can still have negative physical and mental health effects. A recent study of Israeli adults found that consistent exposure to terror threats could create a higher risk for heart disease among otherwise healthy people.
No comments:
Post a Comment