Early intervention for mass violence: What is the evidence? What should be done? Original Research Article

Incidents of mass violence, such as the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, have the capacity to produce profound emotional distress in thousands of people. Such distress is a normal human emotional response in the wake of such devastation, and in the vast majority of cases this distress remits in the weeks following the traumatic event. Despite the fact that only a small percentage of individuals fail to adjust positively following trauma, the magnitude and scope of incidents of mass violence dictate that a large number of individuals may develop enduring psychopathology as a result of such events. This article reviews the empirical literature bearing on early interventions for trauma victims that have been developed to date. Promising cognitive-behavioral interventions that appear to overcome significant limitations of traditional early intervention approaches are delineated and discussed. Although early interventions for trauma remain underdeveloped and understudied, practice guidelines gleaned from preliminary but promising treatment approaches are offered. Attention to PTSD risk factors is paramount in order to facilitate the identification of individuals most likely to benefit from early posttraumatic treatment. These risk factors are presented and discussed in order to facilitate assessment and treatment planning.