Predictors of treatment utilization in world trade center attack disaster workers: role of race/ethnicity and symptom severity.
This study examined treatment utilization in disaster workers deployed to the World Trade Center (WTC) during or after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Among 174 workers who accepted psychotherapy referrals following psychiatric screening for WTC-related symptoms, 74 (42.5%) attended at least one session, while 100 (57.5%) chose not to attend at all. The study assessed whether treatment utilization was associated with sociodemographic background, trauma history, psychiatric history, WTC attack exposure, diagnoses, or symptom severity. Analyses indicated that, of study variables, race/ethnicity and clinician-rated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptom severity distinguished workers who utilized treatment from those who did not. Implications for outreach and referral are discussed.
Jayasinghe
Nimali
N
Department of Psychiatry Weill Medical College Cornell University NewYork, NY, USA. nij2001@med.cornell.edu
Spielman
Lisa
L
Cancellare
Denise
D
Difede
JoAnn
J
Klausner
Ellen J
EJ
Giosan
Cezar
C
D000328:Adult; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D018635:Rescue Work; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires