Student Perspectives on the Impact of the World Trade Center Disaster: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study (Research Note) (Report‪)‬

Following September 11th, research interest in the psychosocial factors related to the psychological well-being of social workers after the disaster surged. A study of social workers in New York City who provided disaster mental health services found that, after controlling for a variety of personal and occupational factors, emotional exhaustion or "compassion fatigue" was positively related to increased provision of disaster mental health services to 9/11 victims (Boscarino, Figley, & Adams, 2004). A study of MSW students attending a group therapy class in New York examined how reactions to 9/11 changed over time (Tosone et al., 2003) and found that students experienced a range of personal and professional stressors in the aftermath. They reported initial strong feelings ranging from shock and confusion to anxiety, anger, guilt, and gratitude. Professionally, students struggled emotionally in their personal experiences and in the context of clinical service delivery to disaster victims with issues similar to their own. Most disaster studies indicate that, in general, psychopathology decreases over time in the wake of disasters (Lesaca, 1996; Norris, 2005; Rubonis & Bickman, 1991). There also appears to be a relationship between time to symptom remission and exposure to disaster (Norris).A meta-analysis on the relationship between disasters and psychopathology reveals that, after controlling for methodology, individual characteristics (age, gender, victim/nonvictim status, or clinical/community populations) and disaster characteristics (casualty and death rates, time elapsed, and causation) were critical in determining the 17% psychopathology incidence rate in controlled disaster studies (Rubonis & Bickman). Contrary to public opinion, scientific evidence suggests that the majority of individuals who experience initial disaster-related stress responses will find abatement in the ensuing months (Norris).