Dec. 7, 2012 -
PRLog -- Oslo: The European Journal of Psychotraumatology publishes today results from a study into the traumatic stress experienced by the Norwegian public following the 22nd July 2011 terrorist attacks in Oslo and on Utøya Island. According to the research team the terrorist attacks seem to have had a significant effect on the Norwegian population, creating sadness and insecurity, at least in the short term. More frequently than fear, study participants reported a feeling of unreality. According to the researchers, proximity to the terrorist attacks was strongly associated with distress in the population, and early distress was strongly related to later post-traumatic stress reactions. Researcher Siri Thoresen further explained that “even 4-5 months after the attacks, 30% of study participants reported a reduced sense of safety.” In this small Nordic country, with a population of just 5 million, the likelihood of knowing a victim of the attacks or someone close to a victim was high. Indeed, the study showed that psychological proximity was significantly associated with post-traumatic stress reactions. Post-traumatic stress reactions were elevated in ethnic minorities.
The full article can be freely accessed at:
http://www.eurojnlofpsychotraumatol.net/index.php/ejpt/ar...DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v3i0.19709
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