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LCM Bookstore: Order Tapes and Transcripts Check out The Infinite Mind's broadcast date and time in your area
Copyright © 1997-2002
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 State of Mind: America 2002: How Are We Doing? John Hockenberry now introduces three experts for the program's first panel discussion. Dr. Dennis Charney of the National Institute of Mental Health is an expert on mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Carol North of Washington University in St. Louis has studied and continues to study the effects of the Oklahoma City bombing attack. Richard Rockwell is the executive director of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Connecticut. He's tracked dozens of polls looking at the mood of Americans since September 11th. Hockenberry asks Rockwell how The Infinite Mind/APA poll results compare to results from polls conducted just after the attacks. He also asks how it was possible to do such polling. Interviewers surely could not be detached in such a situation. Rockwell replies that for many questioners it was the hardest thing they'd ever done. At Gallup, for example, interviewers found the experience wrenching for them but a great release for those they were questioning. People wanted to talk and were grateful to have someone to listen to them. Dr. Charney emphasizes that people in general are extremely resilient and that most people do bounce back from traumas, even one of this magnitude. What he watches for is a syndrome called acute stress disorder where people have feelings of anxiety and depression, as well as sleeplessness, that last for up to a month. Some of the risk factors for developing these kinds of symptoms include, of course, proximity to Ground Zero, but whether someone has previously experienced a trauma is also important. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is actually a fairly common disorder and in general the more personal an event-a rape, for example, as opposed to a tornado or hurricane-the more severe are the symptoms. Dr. North interviewed 182 people in Oklahoma City who were in the direct path of the bomb blast there, the equivalent of being at Ground Zero. She found that a full 34 percent of people interviewed fit the criteria for PTSD but emphasizes that that means the majority did not develop a psychiatric disorder. She explains how different populations have different mental health needs and that it's important to be alert to those differing needs. Dr. Charney emphasizes that some people may feel that their distress isn't okay, and that this may in fact worsen their problems-not least because they may be reluctant to seek treatment. Both Charney and North say that their research shows people with pre-existing psychiatic disorders are more vulnerable when exposed to sudden major traumas. John Hockenberry and Richard Rockwell discuss the seeming generation gap when it comes to how people are doing in the wake of 9-11. Audience member Barbara Edwards Delsman is concerned about how the people she works with in her job, many of whom already had PTSD and/or worked in the service industry, are finding themselves very hard-pressed by the attacks and the resulting economic downturn. Hockenberry wonders whether the focus on September 11th isn't actually siphoning off support services from some of those who are most needy. Dr. Charney agrees this is a problem. Audience member Alan O'Leary describes his experience getting out of the World Trade Center when it was attacked. He is now much closer to his family, who live in Ireland and England, and his wife has been an invaluable help. Getting back to work was very helpful for him in relieving stress and anxiety. |
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