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INTERNET-BASED
STUDY OF TRAUMATIC GRIEF LAUNCHED AT
Web-based research is still a new concept, but two robust studies on reactions to September 11 published recently in JAMA are bringing legitimacy to the internet as a medium for well-designed research. Researchers at the Psychiatric Institute’s Trauma Studies Program have three primary aims, namely, (1) determining whether traumatic grief is a unique disorder, separate from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as depression; (2) exploring the impact of grief reactions and; (3) understanding the role of an individual’s relationship with the deceased in the long-term development of traumatic grief. The researchers, led by Dr. Yuval Neria, Associate Director of the Trauma Studies Program, are also interested in looking at the resulting impact of the loss of a loved one coupled with exposure to trauma. Previous post-disaster studies failed to look at the interaction of both these components. With myths prevailing in the lay and professional communities regarding the duration and severity of trauma in response to the violence of September 11, 2001, this study will hopefully help to answer two questions: What made so many people hyper-vigilant after the attacks, including those without full blown syndromes, and why are significant numbers of people who lost loved ones, friends and colleagues still reporting elevated levels of stress two years later? The survey will use state-of-the-art encryption technology to ensure confidentiality. To learn how you can participate in this study, please call the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at (212) 543-6061 or log on to www.9-11survey.org. |