© 2002 Oxford University Press
Reflections on the Response to Mass Terrorist Attacks: An Elaboration on Everly and Mitchell's 10 Commandments
From the Department of Psychology at Loyola College in Maryland
Contact author: Jenny Lowry, PhD, Loyola College in Maryland, 4501 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210. E-mail: jlowry{at}loyola.edu
On September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks resulted in the catastrophic collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Approximately 40 minutes after the World Trade Center was attacked, a similar terrorist attack was perpetrated against the Pentagon in Washington, DC. A fourth hijacked plane crashed in a wooded area in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Although the physical devastation has been unparalleled in this nation, the psychological devastation may not be evident for months, or even years. The purpose of this paper is to review and expand the theoretical and empirical foundations of G. S. Everly and J. T. Mitchell's (2001, International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, 3, 133135) 10 recommendations or "commandments" on how to address the psychological consequences of mass terrorism. The article also includes important recommendations for emergency personnel regarding pre-, during, and postdisaster measures, such as predisaster resiliency training, and steps to assist the reestablishment of a sense of physical safety and community cohesion postdisaster.
KEY WORDS: terrorism, mass disaster, World Trade Center, Critical Incident Stress Management