Clinical needs assessment of middle and high school students following the1995 Oklahoma City bombing

Objective: This clinical assessment was designed to identify middle and hig h school students in need of formal evaluation for posttraumatic response s ymptoms following the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Method: A clinical needs assessment instrument was devel oped and administered to grade 6 through 12 students 7 weeks after the bomb ing (N=3,218). Results: More than 40% of the students reported knowing some one injured, and more than one-third reported knowing someone killed in the blast. Posttraumatic stress symptoms at 7 weeks significantly correlated w ith gender, exposure through knowing someone injured or killed, and bomb-re lated television viewing. Conclusions: This study documents the intensity o f community exposure to the bombing and the lingering symptoms of stress. T he assessment was used in planning for clinical service delivery, training professional responders, and supporting funding requests.