The Impact of 9/11 on Patients in New York City's Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This article assesses the impact of the attacks on 9/11 in New York City on drug use, relapse, and mental health from the perspective of drug users and patients in substance abuse treatment programs. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted with 16 administrators and 75 randomly selected patients at 15 substance abuse treatment programs in New York City from December 2002 to April 2003. RESULTS: Drug use and relapse was a significant issue on and after 9/11. While Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was related to drug use, other preexisting mental health problems were not. Men were more likely to relapse than women; however, women were more emotionally affected by events following 9/11. CONCLUSIONS: The attacks on 9/11 may have contributed to relapse among drug users and exacerbated existing mental health problems among patients with a history of concurrent drug use and mental illness.