What Is The Relationship Between Terrorism And Mental Health

The article Shootings by Adam Gopnik depicts the correlation between mass murders and media to be a social gathering in which citizens from all around the world bandwagon onto debates to form “crusades”. Adam emphasises that media sources only shine light upon topics of gun violence and mass shootings in a overly exaggerated tone, rather than finding an appropriate solution. Adam attepmted to propose that media only brodcrasts pinpointed topics that grabs public attention to make headlines by focusing the characteristics of the Virgina Tech’s shooter’s mental illness. According to Adam (2007) “... much of the conversation was devoted to musing on the treatment of mental

Acts of terrorism plants fear and terror into the hearts and minds of individuals but when mass shootings occur in the U.S., they get classified as murder or hate crimes. This research will show that mass shootings and hate crimes inflict the same type of terror in the hearts and minds of individuals throughout communities within the U.S. as terrorist attacks have inflicted on communities.

Acts of terrorism plants fear and terror into the hearts and minds of individuals but when mass shootings occur in the United States, they get classified as murder or hate crimes. This research will show that mass shootings and hate crimes inflict the same type of terror in the hearts and minds of individuals throughout communities within the United States as terrorist attacks have inflicted on communities.

Studies found that people who were affected by the terrorist attacks that people either failed to seek treatment or demonstrated mental health symptoms 2 years after. Adding to that, other research has indicated various concerns of diseases as a result of mental health issues among individuals who described their first-hand experience in 9/11. Other research studies demonstrated that after a disaster event has occurred; those who were affected will show probable posttraumatic stress disorder and individual risk factors. “A renewed interest in the UMHCN of exposed persons has arisen due to the recent release of public funds for monitoring and treatment of 9/11 - related health conditions...” (Ghuman, et. al, 2014 p 2)

The author's intentions for writing this article was to inspect the common thought that there was a link between mental illness and mass shootings and to disprove it. The author also intended for the readers to realize that is too simple of a solution that has slim to none platform to back it up and that mass shootings need to be looked at as its entire entity rather than nit pick it for a small and simple

The safety of American citizens was extremely questioned in the years following 9/11. Most Americans believed that the country was completely safe and secure. However, 9/11 brought the reality that we are not completely free at all. In return, this created mass national confusion as to why someone didn't like the United States. Because of safety concerns, a more vulnerable society was fashioned. Citizens felt unprotected, scared, and bare of security. Thanks to departments and programs such as the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security, safety was reinstated. Another unfortunate social impact was the diagnosing of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Doctors found a sharp rise in the number of PTSD patients post-9/11 with loved ones, firefighters, bystanders, police officers, Trade Center Workers, and many others. Most patients were found to be involved with “Ground Zero”, or, the area in which the towers had collapsed. At least 10,000 people exposed to the terrorist attack have been found to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, an extreme psychological damage to society. Roughly 4.3 billion dollars has been spent treating this disorder through the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. “The terrorist attacks of 9/11 have brought a substantial and enduring burden of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on those people who lost loved ones, as well as firefighters and recovery workers.” - Yuval Neria, Laura

First responders experience much of the same psychological trauma, as they are exposed to the threat of death, and witness the destruction firsthand. Many detach themselves during their work as a coping mechanism but are unable to completely reconnect themselves with reality. Additionally, the jobs of the emergency personnel require frequent exposure to disastrous situations, making it difficult for first responders to completely recover, due to repeated exposure to triggering stimuli (Bunney). As they are exposed to the same situations as the victims, first responders are also at risk of developing mental disorders like PTSD. This evidence shows that people directly exposed to terrorism experience mental disorders at a higher rate. Due to the magnitude of the potential psychological damage a bioterrorist attack could cause, it makes government preparation imperative for minimizing the damage done to direct victims.

Terrorist attacks are a consistent global occurrence.The 2005 London underground bombings was an attack which caused largest mass fatality occurrence in the UK since World War 2. As a result the comfort and use of public transport in the UK was greatly impacted. Research into the fatalities and physical repercussions of tragedies are amplified globally. For instance it is considered factual that the

Living the United State when one thinks of a terrorist attacks often their mind will first go to a larger scale attack such as the events of September 11th 2001. “September 11, 2001 changed the United States forever, the terrorist attack that day marked a dramatic escalation in a trend toward more destructive terrorist attacks which began in the 1980s. It also reflected a trend toward more indiscriminate targeting among international terrorists. The vast majority of the more than 3,000 victims of the attack were civilians. In addition, the attack represented the first known case of suicide attacks carried out by international terrorists in the United States.” (Waston, 2002) However as the years have gone by we have come to learn that terrorist attacks are not always on a large scale and that even one person who is inspired by the ideologies of a terrorist group without being directly connected to them can carry out attacks. Those that engage in this type of terrorism are referred to as lone wolf terrorist. A recent example of such an even was the mass shooting at the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center in December of 2015.

Homeland security was founded under the Bush administration in 2003 due the attacks of September 11 was forever stay in the mind of the American public. It was a tragic event that scared the nation. The 9-11 attacks claimed 2,996 lives that included 19 hijackers. Neria, DiGrande, & Adams, (2011) reported that an extensive amount of the post-9/11 research revealed that in the subsequent 10 years, individuals with greater contact to 9/11 had substantially higher PTSD issues. The PTSD was correlated with other factors (SES, social support, loss of life). For example, Yehuda (2002) showed that lower socioeconomic background is related to an increased risk for PTSD. The rate of PTSD symptoms in subjects examined increased to 19 percent, a five percent rise from the survey performed on about 71,000 registrants two to three years following the attacks (Twemlow, Sacco, Ramzy, & Nadia,2011). Chemtob, Madan, Berger, &Abramovitz, (2011) assessed the relationship between different types of trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and suicidal ideation among New York City adolescents one year after the World Trade Center attacks. The study found notable associations between trauma exposure, PTSD, and increased suicidal ideation in adolescents. Internationally, youth residing in war zones are even more exposed to traumatic events. For example, the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents is estimated to be 5–8% in

Terrorism is a difficult issue to understand and grasp for many people. What is even more difficult to understand is what drives an individual to become radicalized to the point of joining a terrorist organization and committing terrorist acts. While there is not specific criteria or a “cookie cutter” approach to understanding what motivates and radicalizes an individual to participate in such atrocities, there are however, several psychological and behavioral factors that have been common among these individuals. The following paper will outline some of the psychological and behavioral factors that attribute to an individual’s radicalization and eventual willingness and even perhaps

The ever evolving subject of terrorism and terrorists is the subject of significant study worldwide. The psychological and behavioral factors involved in terrorism are one of the most studied issues. It has implications across the board for both the detection and deterrence of terrorism. How terrorists communicate and the influence that it plays in growing terroristic ideology, mission, and goals are also of significant importance, as well.

There has also been long time assumption among professionals and average citizens that terrorists are ‘mentally ill’ individuals. However, there is yet again no evidence that supports that theory. As a matter of fact, there is countless examples in history that counters that said theory of being ‘mentally ill’ and this article provides those examples; as well as, providing the avenue in which an individual can and has been radicalized. Moreover, this article articulates and lays out a method in which could be used to counter the radicalization

“If the media were not there to report terrorist acts and to explain their political and social significance...terrorism as such would cease to exist” said John O'Sullivan, an editor of the Times of London.1 This is also the way many other people feel about the recent increase in terrorist activity; they feel that the media is causing it. The media is doing this by fulfilling the terrorists' need for publicity.2 Terrorists need media publicity in order to get their views spread to the public.3 Because of this need for publicity, terrorists are committing their acts of terrorism in areas where a lot of publicity will be gained; the United States and Western Europe are the most recent targets. The bombings of the federal building in

Purpose: To inform readers of the effects the recent terrorist attacks have on society today.