Psychiatric Bulletin (2009) 33: 49-52. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.107.018663
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Katz, C. L.
Right arrow Articles by Smith, R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Katz, C. L.
Right arrow Articles by Smith, R.

Psychiatric symptoms in Ground Zero ironworkers in the aftermath of 9/11: prevalence and predictors

Craig L. Katz, Clinical Assistant Professor

Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, USA

Stephen Levin, Associate Professor

Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, USA

Robin Herbert, Associate Professor

Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, USA

Simon Munro, Specialty Registrar Year 4

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Ladyfield Offices, Glencaple Road, Dumfries, Scotland DG1 4TE, email: simon.munro{at}nhs.net

Anand Pandya, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

New York University School of Medicine and President of the American National Alliance on Mental Illness, USA

Rebecca Smith, Clinical Assistant Professor

Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, USA

Declaration of interest

None.

AIMS AND METHOD

To establish the prevalence of, and risk factors for, psychiatric symptoms in Ground Zero ironworkers. Questionnaires commonly used to screen for psychiatric symptoms were completed by 124 workers.

RESULTS

We have established the prevalence of screening positive for symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, generalised anxiety, depression and alcohol misuse. Among the risk factors were alcohol misuse, injury to or death of a family member, friend or co-worker at Ground Zero and one or more adverse life events since 9/11.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Ironworkers at Ground Zero tend to have significant psychiatric symptoms likely to be associated with the traumatic experience of working there during the clean-up operation. Risk factors for psychiatric symptoms were established.