Psychopathological repercussions of the March 11 terrorist attacks in Madrid.

Abstract

This paper presents the most relevant outcomes of three epidemiological studies carried out with the adult population of the city of Madrid one month after the terrorist attacks of March 11th, 2004. The main objectives of these studies were to assess the prevalence and evolution of psychopathology and to establish predictors of vulnerability and protection/resistance to trauma. The studies focused on: 1) the general population (n = 1589) of whom 1265 corresponded to the 21 urban districts and 324 lived in the affected areas, i.e., Atocha, El Pozo and Santa Eugenia; 2) victims and relatives/close friends (n = 117); and 3) emergency services personnel (n = 165). We report results on prevalence rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attack and depression, and comorbidity between disorders. Results are discussed in terms of the psychological impact of the attacks not only for those directly affected, but also for Madrid's population as a whole.