title: Coping support factors among Australians affected by terrorism: 2002 Bali bombing survivors speak.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine terrorism survivors' perceptions of factors likely to promote coping and recovery, and to determine whether coping supports vary according to demographic, physical and mental health, incident-exposure and bereavement variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals directly exposed to and/or bereaved by the 2002 Bali bombings and who had participated in a New South Wales Health therapeutic support program completed cross-sectional telephone interviews during July-November 2010. Spoken passages were categorised into coping support themes. Advocated supports were then examined by demographic, physical and mental health, incident-exposure and bereavement variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on their experiences, respondents identified personal, social and service-related factors that they believed would optimally support future survivors of terrorism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 81 people contacted, 55 (68%) participated, providing a total of 114 comments. Thirty-two respondents were women, and 54 had lost relatives or friends in the bombing. Mean age was 50 years (range, 20-73 years). Four meaningful coping support themes emerged, with excellent inter-rater reliability: professional help and counselling; social support; proactive government response and policy; and personal coping strategies. Women were significantly more likely to advocate the need for proactive government response (P = 0.03). Men were more likely to endorse the use of personal coping strategies (P < 0.01). Respondents diagnosed with a mental health condition since the bombings were significantly less likely to advocate social support processes (P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings highlight the perceived value of counselling-related services for terrorism-affected groups. Male survivors may benefit more from mental health interventions that initially build on problem-focused forms of coping, including brief education about reactions and periodic check-ups. Proactive government health and support services that allow simplified and longer-term access were consistently identified as priority areas.
authors: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. g.stevens@uws.edu.au.
authors: Garry J
authors: GJ
authors: Stevens
authors: Northern Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Julie C
authors: JC
authors: Dunsmore
authors: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Kingsley E
authors: KE
authors: Agho
authors: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Melanie R
authors: MR
authors: Taylor
authors: Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
authors: Alison L
authors: AL
authors: Jones
authors: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Beverley
authors: B
authors: Raphael
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001601:Bereavement; D054042:Bombs; D003376:Counseling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006078:Government Programs; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006291:Health Policy; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D023481:Terrorism / Q000523:psychology*