SS49 NEUROPSYCHIATRIC EFFECTS OF THE 9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS

Abstract

This session will describe the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9/11) and the resulting exposures to severe psychological stressors and to neurotoxin-containing dust, smoke, and fumes. Described 9/11 exposures appear to increase the risk for various psychiatric illnesses including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorder, substance use disorders, adjustment disorders, and depressive disorders. Evidence of neurocognitive dysfunction, including cortical atrophy, is also beginning to emerge. Together, panel members will summarize the psychiatric and cognitive effects, reflect on the possible role of 9/11 exposures in those outcomes, and discuss the importance of ongoing clinical surveillance and the role of prevention.