Assessment of PTSD symptoms in a community exposed to serial murder

This study examined the presence of PTSD symptoms across time in a community exposed to serial murder. One hundred eighty four subjects (48% response rate) responded to the initial survey while 64 and 30 subjects, respectively, participated in the 9‐ and 18‐month follow‐up studies. Results indicated widespread endorsement of PTSD symptoms following the murders. The most severe reactions were found among residents demographically similar to the victims. PTSD symptoms, while not transient, appeared to decrease over time with few subjects still reporting symptoms at 18 months. These data suggest that violent acts such as serial murder can have far reaching psychological consequences for the community and result in vicarious victimization. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 53: 809–815, 1997