TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Association between feeling threatened, behaviour and symptoms of anxiety and depression: two and a half years after the terrorist attacks in Belgium
JO  - Community mental health journal
A1  - Van Overmeire, Roel
A1  - Six, Stefaan
A1  - Deschepper, Reginald
A1  - Vandekerckhove, Marie
A1  - Bilsen, Johan
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - Feeling threatened by terrorism can be associated with mental health problems and behavioural changes. However, few studies look at the association in the long-term. Using a survey, the population in Brussels, Belgium was studied using a representative database delivered by the national post service. The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) assessed mental health, and self-made questions avoidance behaviour. 170 people answered: 60% women and 50% higher educated, 28.2% between 56 and 65 years and 62.4% had a partner. 43.5% felt threatened by the terrorist attacks and 45.9% experienced no mental health problems. Both terrorist threat (p < 0.001) and avoidance behaviour (p < 0.001) significantly predicted PHQ-4 scores, while controlling for gender, age, social support, education level, and traumatic events. There is a relation between terrorist threat and anxiety/depressive symptoms 2.5 years after the last study on terrorist threat in Brussels, but it has weakened. Avoidance behaviour seems to be more present than threat.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0010-3853
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00867-w
ID  - ref1
ER  -