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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.
Robert G. Hillman (Tue,) studied this question.