Citation

Frank A, Noy G, Chow C, Leff HS. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2019; ePub(ePub): 1-5.

Affiliation

Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2019.70

PMID

31423958

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study reviews patient encounters at a Boston-area community hospital Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) following the Boston Marathon bombings, with the goal of describing the impact of terrorist attacks on PES encounters.

METHODS: All PES encounters for 2 months preceding and 2 months following the bombing were identified in the electronic medical record. Demographics, current and past psychiatric problems, and trauma history were assessed for all records. Encounters seen post-bombing were compared with those before the bombing.

RESULTS: Demographics, current and past psychiatric problems, and trauma history were not significantly different before versus after the bombing; 36 of 440 (8.2%) post-bombing encounters directly mentioned the bombings. New-onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms caused by the bombing occurred in only 4 encounters (0.9%).

CONCLUSIONS: PES encounters after a terrorist event are likely to mirror those seen before a terrorist event, with only a minority of encounters presenting for new PTSD or acute stress disorder.

Language: en

Keywords

bombs; community mental health services; emergency services; psychiatric terrorism; psychological; stress