Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153:705-707
Copyright © 1996 by American Psychiatric Association
Posttraumatic stress disorder in survivors of the Brooklyn Bridge shooting
B Trappler and S Friedman
Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, USA.
OBJECTIVE: The authors documented the frequency of posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) in civilian victims of urban terrorism. METHOD: A recent
shooting attack on a van of Hasidic students provided a unique opportunity
to document responses of survivors in this targeted group. Eleven of 14
survivors were compared with age-matched subjects on a variety of
questionnaires and clinical evaluations. RESULTS: Of the 11 survivors, four
were diagnosed with PTSD (all of whom also had concurrent major depressive
disorder), one with major depressive disorder, and two with adjustment
disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are interpreted in the context of unique
factors contributing to the heightened vulnerability of this group.
