Aftermath of Terror: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study of Posttraumatic Stress and Worry Across the Decade Following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks

Research conducted in the early years after the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC demonstrated adverse psychological outcomes among residents of the United States who were exposed to the attacks both directly and indirectly via the media. However, less is known about the impact of this collective trauma over time. Beginning at the end of December 2006, a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of U.S. residents (Cohort 2, N = 1,613) examined the long‐term effects of 9/11, with annual assessments administered every year for 3 years. We assessed rates of 9/11‐related posttraumatic stress (PTS) annually during the first 2 years of the study; during the second and third years of the study, we assessed fear and worry regarding future terrorism. Rates of PTS among participants were compared with those assessed annually in a nationally representative sample between 2002 and 2004 (Cohort 1); results indicated a relatively stable pattern of 9/11‐related PTS symptoms for 6 years following the attacks. Five to six years after 9/11, we found an association between 9/11‐related PTS and both direct, B = 8.45, 95% CI [4.32, 12.59] and media‐based (live television), B = 1.78, 95% CI [0.90, 2.65] exposure to the attacks. Six to 7 years post‐9/11, fear and worry regarding future terrorism were predicted by 9/11‐related PTS symptoms that had been reported approximately 5 years after the attacks, B = 0.04, 95% CI [0.03, 0.05]. The psychological legacy of 9/11 was perceptible among many U.S. residents throughout the decade that followed. Resumen Spanish s by the Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET) La secuela del terror: Un estudio nacional longitudinal del estrés postraumático a lo largo de la década del 9/11 LA SECUELA DEL TERROR Investigaciones llevadas a cabo en los primeros años luego de los ataques terroristas del 11 de septiembre del 2001 (9/11) en Nueva York y Pensilvania demostraron que los estadounidenses expuestos experimentaron, tanto directamente como a través de los medios de comunicación, consecuencias psicológicas adversas. Sin embargo, se sabe menos sobre el impacto de este trauma colectivo en el tiempo. A partir de finales de diciembre de 2006, un estudio longitudinal de una muestra nacional representativa de estadounidenses (Cohorte 2, N = 1,613) examinó los efectos a largo plazo del 9/11; con tres evaluaciones anuales. Medimos tasas de estrés postraumático (EPT) asociado al 9