DEBRIEFING WITH BRIEF GROUP-PSYCHOTHERAPY IN A HOMOGENOUS GROUP OF NON-INJURED VICTIMS OF A TERRORIST ATTACK - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

This study describes a follow-up of 15 non-injured women, all from the same socio-economic background, who were exposed to a terrorist attac k in Israel. All of the women participated in group debriefing with br ief group psychotherapy, involving six meetings during the first 2 mon ths following the event. Two days after the attack, and 2 months and 6 months after the event, the women were administered a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnostic scale, the Impact of Event Scale (IE S) and the SCL-90. At 6 months, four subjects (27%) were diagnosed wit h full PTSD. The IES showed significantly higher scores at the first m easure than at the other two measures. Furthermore, the phobic anxiety subscale score immediately after the event was significantly associat ed with the General Severity Index of the SCL-90 and the severity of P TSD symptomatology at 6 months. The present paper discusses the effect iveness of psychological intervention following trauma, and raises que stions concerning the need to invest public resources in this kind of intensive intervention. Suggestions are proposed regarding the desired emphasis of the psychological treatment in order to improve its benef its to victims.