The disaster was my fault!
We report the case of a child affected by Gilles de la Tourette syndrome and comorbid obsessive-compulsive disorder who claimed to have caused the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States by failing to accomplish a stereotyped compulsive ritual. Special attention is paid to the relationship between the patient's neuropsychiatric symptoms and the belief that he personally had influenced the outcome of an internationally notorious disaster. Prognostic and treatment implications are also presented, along with a review of the literature on the clinical and psychosocial impact of terrorist attacks and natural disasters on children suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders.
Robertson
Mary M
MM
Department of Mental Health Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London, London, UK. Profmmr@aol.com
Cavanna
Andrea E
AE
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D004532:Ego; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks / Q000523:psychology*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D020280:Sertraline / Q000494:pharmacology; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D020280:Sertraline