Psychological interventions for terroristic trauma: Symptoms, syndromes, and treatment strategies.

Terrorist attacks combine features of criminal assaults, disasters, and acts of war. Accordingly, much of the clinical knowledge in treating this relatively new kind of traumatic event is adapted from experiences in treating victims of criminal assault, homicidal bereavement, natural and manmade disasters, war and political violence, workplace homicide, and school shootings. This article reviews the pertinent literature on these types of trauma and combines this information with the author's own experience in treating direct and indirect victims and survivors of recent terrorist attacks. The article describes the psychological syndromes resulting from terrorism and discusses crisis intervention, individual therapy, and family therapy modalities for treating victims of terror. Last, the role of mental health clinicians in the larger national and international response to terroristic trauma is highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)