Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Diagnosis, Prevalence, and Research Advances

ously rapid succession and telecast and watched repeatedly around the world. Catastrophic events of war and organized violence, including terrorism, dramatically disrupt the fabric and order of a society, presenting vivid proof of the vulnerability of its members, threatening psychological adaptation and mental health, and cultivating a culture of fear. Research documents high rates of psychological difficulties in the majority of individuals exposed to such events, including depression, anxiety, guilt, pathological grief reactions, restlessness, sleep disturbances, psychosomatic com plaints, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The relatively new diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, has received much attention in analysis of the mental health impact of the events of September 11. In this paper, research on PTSD is reviewed and related to the terrorist attacks of September 11, and some