Health and Emotional Effects of 9/11 Linger

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Almost 71,000 people registered for a long-term health study in New York that measured the potential health risks associated with being in close proximity to the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Of the people interviewed, about 70% said they witnessed a traumatic sight (like falling bodies or the planes crashing into the trade towers), more than 50% said they’d been enveloped by the choking dust cloud that seemed to cover everything in sight, and 13% had been injured in the attack.

The subjects included rescue workers, residents of lower Manhattan, those who worked near the twin towers, and anyone who was in the near vicinity of the attacks.

The study’s results from two to three years after the event (the most recent data available) were released this week by the New York city health department. In it, researchers estimate that the participants of the study represent only 17.4 percent of the total number affected by the attack and its aftermath. Based on this estimate, more than 400,000 people in the city were directly affected that day.

As many as 70,000 of those people suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and as many as 12,600 developed asthma from the dust conditions. Both groups represent rates three times as high as those in the general population for PTSD and asthma.

"These data show that rescue and recovery workers were not the only groups affected," said Dr. Mark Farfel, the director of the World Trade Center Health Registry, in a press release. "Living and working near the WTC site also put people at risk of health problems."

Mental health experts say that most people who develop PTSD after a traumatic event will see their symptoms (flashbacks, anxiety, nightmares) fade after about a year, especially if they have sought treatment. Those who avoid treatment are far more likely to suffer negative symptoms for years.

Lorna Thorpe, deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene spoke to reporters. "If symptoms proceed past six months, then it tends to be chronic if not treated well," said Thorpe. "So we anticipate today that many people are still suffering from PTSD, in part because perhaps they're not seeking care. One characteristic of PTSD is avoidance of the issue. People often take a year to step forward and really seek care."

Thorpe said there is always an increase in reports of mental health symptoms like depression and anxiety around the anniversary of an event like 9/11.

In addition to mental health difficulties, many NewYorkers reported asthma and breathing difficulties in the months and years following the attack. Some have been seriously debilitated, especially those among the first responders who rushed to the scene of the towers and worked tirelessly for days, quite often without breathing masks.

"A tremendous number of people were exposed and virtually everyone had a cough," said Dr. Thomas Aldrich, a medical professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Added Dr. Aldrich, "Most got better, but a percentage had persistent symptoms. Approximately 800 firefighters and EMTs have retired because of respiratory disabilities, which is unprecedented."