The nation’s public health infrastructure would be ill-prepared to meet people’s psychological needs after a terrorist attack, concludes a recent (2003) Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee report.

“Consequences would result for many people,” says clinical psychologist Adrienne Stith Butler, PhD, an IOM program officer and co-editor of the report, “Preparing for the Psychological Consequences of Terrorism: A Public Health Strategy,” published by the National Academy of Sciences in June. “And we’re not talking solely about psychiatric illness, but the more common consequences ranging from mild to moderate distress responses and behavioral changes.”

“The committee calls for a comprehensive strategy with mental health issues integrated into a broader public-health model for responding to terrorism, but we’re not there yet,” says Butler. “Mental health professionals should be at the table when policy and planning decisions are made.

The committee also hopes that in preparing for terrorism, lessons can be learned and potentially applied to other violent events that cause fear, anxiety and stress in American communities. To purchase or download the report, visit www.nap.edu.

December 2003