Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Survivors of the Brooklyn Bridge Shooting

Trappler, Brian MD
Friedman, Steven PhD

Received Feb. 21, 1995; revisions received July 24 and Dec. 14, 1995; accepted Jan. 19, 1996. From the Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn. Address reprint requests to Dr. Friedman, Department of Psychiatry State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, Box 1203, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203.
Supported in part by NIMH grant MH-42545 and by funds from the Department of Psychiatry's practice plan.

American Journal of Psychiatry 153(5):p 705-707, May 1996.

Objective

The authors documented the frequency of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civilian victims of urban terrorism. Method: A recent shooting attack on a van of Hasidic students provided a unique opportunity to document responses of survivors in this targeted group. Eleven of 14 survivors were compared with age-matched subjects on a variety of questionnaires and clinical evaluations. Results: Of the 11 survivors, four were diagnosed with PTSD (all of whom also had concurrent major depressive disorder), one with major depressive disorder, and two with adjustment disorder. Conclusions: Findings are interpreted in the context of unique factors contributing to the heightened vulnerability of this group.

(Am-J-Psychiatry 1996;153:705-707)