The psychopathology of being held hostage

Abstract

The author describes the psychological state of 14 correctional officers it’hile they ;t’ere held hostage during the February /980 riot at a penitentiary in New Mexico . Clinically ,they experienced helplessness, existentialfear, and senso input overload. The psychological experience of being held hostage is compared is’ith ttt’o mnore it’idelv described stress experiences: being a prisoner of war or concentration camp victim . Psychopathologic’allv , all three experiences ha ye noticeable similarities. Knowledge of the psychopathology of the hostage experience is important in understanding hostages’ behavior during capture and after release.