The mental health response to the Boston bombing: A three-year review

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Boston Marathon bombings left many injured people, responders, and others with short and long-term mental health needs. Very little has been published in professional journals on the mental health response to bombings and terrorism, especially in the years after the incident. Based on three years of interviews with providers, an extensive review of Boston Globe and other print media and plays and documentaries, the needs and subsequent experiences of these survivors, and the formal care and many informal supports that contributed for many to healing are described. While most people recovered quickly, others continue to struggle with longer term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), hearing loss, and other invisible injuries. While professional counseling was important to many, at least of equal value were the many ways that survivors found to address these issues, the help of “perfect strangers,” and the wide variety of supports provided by individuals and organizations in the community. This often overlooked story offers important lessons for understanding what survivors of terrorism and natural disasters face, how they can be formally and informally helped, the importance of community responses, and the need to continue to organize to provide assistance to support strength and resilience in the years following such challenging events.