The relationship between terrorism and distress and drinking: two years after September 11, 2001.
This study examined: 1) the prevalence of negative beliefs related to terrorism and 2) whether these beliefs were related to distress and drinking. Respondents (N = 1453) in a five-wave longitudinal cohort study sampled from a United States university workplace were surveyed by mail between 1996 and 2003. Instruments assessed were: negative beliefs related to 9/11/01, distress (depression, anxiety, somatization, PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder]), and drinking (frequency, quantity, escapist motives, binge drinking, drinking to intoxication, and problem-related drinking). Regression analyses examined relationships between beliefs and mental health. A sizable percentage of respondents experienced terrorism-related negative beliefs. Higher negative belief scores were related to greater distress and problematic drinking in 2003, controlling for sociodemographic variables and (in most cases) pre-9/11 distress and drinking. Study limitations were noted and future research was recommended.
Richman
Judith A
JA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. jrichman@psych.uic.edu
Shannon
Candice A
CA
Rospenda
Kathleen M
KM
Flaherty
Joseph A
JA
Fendrich
Michael
M
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks / Q000523:psychology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D023481:Terrorism / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology