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Post-traumatic stress disorder among civilians 6 and 18 months after the January 2015 terrorist attacks in the Paris region

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In the literature, the association between medium and long-term PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after terrorist attack has rarely been described. The objective of our study was to identify the factors associated with PTSD in the medium and longer term among people exposed to a terrorist attack in France. We used data from a longitudinal survey of 123 terror-exposed people interviewed 6-10 (medium term) and 18-22 (long term) months after. Mental health was assessed by the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview. PTSD in the medium term was associated with history of traumatic events, low levels of social support and severe peri-traumatic reactions, which were in turn associated with high levels of terror exposure. PTSD in the medium term was linked in turn to the presence of anxiety and depressive disorders, which was also linked to PTSD in the longer term. The factors leading to PTSD are different in the medium and long term. In order to improve future support for people exposed to distressing events, it is important to follow up people with intense peri-traumatic reactions, high levels of anxiety and depression and to measure reactions.
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Post-traumatic stress disorder among civilians 6 and 18
months after the January 2015 terrorist attacks in the
Paris region
Charline Vincent, Philippe Pirard, Yvon Motre, Leticia Bertuzzi, Stéphanie
Vandentorren, Cécile Vuillermoz
To cite this version:
Charline Vincent, Philippe Pirard, Yvon Motre, Leticia Bertuzzi, Stéphanie Vandentorren, et al..
Post-traumatic stress disorder among civilians 6 and 18 months after the January 2015 terrorist attacks
in the Paris region. Psychiatry Research, 2023, 322, pp.115137. �10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115137�.
�hal-04088838�
PTSD 6 and 18 months after terrorist attacks
Post-traumatic stress disorder among civilians 6 and 18 months after the January 2015
terrorist attacks in the Paris region
Vincent Charline*a, Philippe Pirardb, Yvon Motreffb, Leticia Bertuzzia, Vandentorren
Stéphanie*c,d, Vuillermoz Cécile*a
a: INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Institut Pierre Louis d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique
(IPLESP), Department of social epidemiology, F75012 Paris, France
b: Santé publique France, Direction des maladies non transmissibles et traumatismes, F94415
Saint-Maurice, France
c: Santé publique France, Direction scientifique et internationale, F94415 Saint-Maurice,
France
d: University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, U1219, F-
33000 Bordeaux, France.
*: co-last authors
Information about the author
Charline VINCENT
Email address: charlinevincent4@gmail.com
Address: INSERM, Sorbonne University - Faculty of Medicine
Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health
2
Saint-Antoine site - UMR-S 1136
27 rue Chaligny, 75012 PARIS
Phone number: +33 (0)7 68 94 94 20
Corresponding Authors
Philippe Pirard: philippe.pirard@santepubliquefrance.fr
Yvon Motreff: yvon.motreff@santepubliquefrance.fr
Leticia Bertuzzi: leticia.bertuzzi@iplesp.upmc.fr
Vandentorren Stéphanie: stephanie.vandentorren@santepubliquefrance.fr
Vuillermoz Cécile: cecile.vuillermoz@inserm.fr
3
Post-traumatic stress disorder among civilians 6 and 18 months after the
January 2015 terrorist attacks in the Paris region
Abstract
In the literature, the association between medium- and long-term PTSD (post-traumatic stress
disorder) after terrorist attack has rarely been described. The objective of our study was to
identify the factors associated with PTSD in the medium and longer term among people exposed
to a terrorist attack in France.
We used data from a longitudinal survey of 123 terror-exposed people interviewed 6-10
(medium term) and 18-22 (long term) months after. Mental health was assessed by the Mini
Neuropsychiatric Interview.
PTSD in the medium term was associated with history of traumatic events, low levels of social
support and severe peri-traumatic reactions, which were in turn associated with high levels of
terror exposure. PTSD in the medium term was linked in turn to the presence of anxiety and
depressive disorders, which was also linked to PTSD in the longer term.
The factors leading to PTSD are different in the medium and long term. In order to improve
future support for people exposed to distressing events, it is important to follow up people with
intense peri-traumatic reactions, high levels of anxiety and depression and to measure reactions.
Keywords: post-traumatic stress disorder, January 2015 terrorist attacks in France, exposure,
longitudinal study, structural equation model.
4
1. INTRODUCTION
The terrorist attacks perpetrated on January 7, 8 and 9, 2015 in the Paris region caused the death
of 17 people and physically injured 20. The literature has shown that an exposed population
can suffer from PTSD, anxiety disorders and depression (Bonanno et al., 2010). For intentional
traumatic events, the prevalence of PTSD is thought to decrease more slowly than for
unintentional events (Santiago et al., 2013). According to a 2013 literature review of 35 studies
on trauma survivors, the prevalence of PTSD ranged from 28.8% at 1 month to 17.0% at 12
months (Santiago et al., 2013).
In studies on terrorist attacks, authors have suggested that the type of exposure (being a witness,
being close to the perpetrators, or being injured) is a factor that could be associated with the
occurrence of PTSD (Brewin et al., 2000; Glad et al., 2016; Ozer et al., 2003). Several authors
have observed that the intensity of the experience of the event is associated with the occurrence
of PTSD and it depends in particular on the peri-traumatic reactions, mostly in the form of a
disconnection from reality during the events (Brewin et al., 2000; Rouillon et al., 2001). The
onset of PTSD can also be associated with a history of mental health disorder (Brewin et al.,
2000; Ozer et al., 2003; Perlman et al., 2011), the use of psychotropic drugs in the past and life
difficulties in the year preceding the events (Brewin et al., 2000; Ozer et al., 2003)as well as
the perceived absence of social support after the event (Brewin et al., 2000; Dyb et al., 2014;
Ozer et al., 2003; Silver et al., 2002; Simard, 2018). The aforementioned studies have only
focused on factors associated with a single disorder. However, approximately 80% of people
with PTSD are reported to have concomitant psychiatric disorders (Jolly, 2000). Anxiety
disorders and depression are risk factors for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder
(Adams et al., 2019; Bugge et al., 2017; Vázquez et al., 2006; Vlahov et al., 2002).
5
In the literature, most studies that have been conducted on mental health at the time of terror
attacks are cross-sectional and use simple regression models to identify factors associated with
mental health disorders. However, these designs and models do not enable the complex
relationships between the different disorders to be studied, nor do they enable assessment of the
evolution of mental health over time.
Considering the various aspects mentioned above, the aim of this study was to identify factors
associated with post-traumatic stress disorder among civilians, 6 to 18 months after the January
2015 attacks in France, using structural equation modelling in order to take the complex
relationships between these factors into account and to assess the evolution of mental health
over time.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1.Participants and procedure
The study was based on data collected from the IMPACTS survey (Investigation of Post-Attack
Traumatic Manifestations and Therapeutic and Supportive Care), led by Santé Publique France
(the French national public health agency), the Ile-de-France Regional Health Agency and
INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research). The survey population consisted
of people who had been exposed to the January 2015 terrorist attacks perpetrated in the Paris
region. The people exposed to the attacks were defined in the IMPACTS survey as those who
had been exposed according to "criterion A" of the DSM-V definition of post-traumatic stress
disorder. They included the following: physically wounded individuals, hostages, witnesses
directly threatened or physically present at the scene of the events (directly threatened subjects);
people who had to take shelter during the terrorist attacks and whose lives were indirectly
threatened (indirectly threatened subjects); and family members and close relatives of the
6
victims, people living or working in the immediate proximity of the scene of the events and
present at the time of the attacks (indirect witnesses).
The aims of the IMPACTS survey were to study the impact of these terrorist attacks on civilians'
and rescue workers’ mental health and social functioning, as well as to assess perceived social
support and mental health care received in medium and long-term care. The first round of the
investigation was conducted from June to October 2015 (medium term), and the second round
from June to October 2016 (long term). Details of the survey design and sampling process have
been provided in another article (Vandentorren et al., 2018; Vuillermoz et al., 2020). In this
study, we considered the 123 civilians that were interviewed 6-10 (medium term) and 18-22
months (long term) after the attacks.
2.2.Measures
The survey questionnaires were administered face-to-face by investigators trained in trauma
management, and the following were collected: socio-demographic characteristics, the level of
exposure, peri-traumatic reactions, perceived social support received after the events,
psychological support received after the events, history of medical and psychological care,
history of potentially traumatic situations and mental health.
2.3.Structural equation modelling
In the context of the complex relationships between PTSD, anxiety disorders, depression and
factors associated with these disorders, we considered that Structural Equation Modelling
(SEM) models were the best suited to studying these relationships (Bachet, 1999; Mansiaux,
2014).
2.3.1. The hypothesised measurement models
In view of the literature and the data collected from the IMPACTS survey, we made
assumptions that were placed in four categories (Fig 1).
7
Fig 1: Hypothesised model for relationships between latent and observed variables and post-
traumatic stress disorder in the medium and the long term after the attacks, IMPACTS 2015
2016 survey. Circles: latent variables; Boxes: observed variables
Firstly, we hypothesised that PTSD in the medium term was related more to the situation before
the attacks (i.e. psychological and psychiatric history) (Ozer et al., 2003; Perlman et al., 2011)
and especially to a high level of exposure to the attacks (i.e. directly or indirectly threatened)
(Glad et al., 2016; Monfort & Afzali, 2017; Ozer et al., 2003) and to severe peri-traumatic
reactions experienced around the event (Ozer et al., 2003; Rouillon et al., 2001). We also
thought that female gender (Carragher et al., 2016; Olff et al., 2007) and the absence of social
support in the medium term (Motreff et al., 2020) would be associated with PTSD in the
medium term.
Secondly, we hypothesised that PTSD in the longer term would be mainly linked to the presence
of PTSD in the medium term and the presence of comorbidities (depressive episode or anxiety
disorders) between the two rounds of the survey (Adams et al., 2019; Simard, 2018), which
8
would otherwise have led to chronic PTSD or increased the symptoms. Furthermore, we
hypothesised that secondary exposure to the attacks in November 2015 and having been
interviewed in the second round of the survey before the July 2016 attacks in Nice (Amoretti,
2018; Solla et al., 2018) could be linked to the presence of PTSD in the longer term. As for the
medium term, we hypothesised that PTSD in the long term would also be related to female
gender, a history of trauma, psychological et psychiatric history, severe peri-traumatic
reactions, high level of exposure to the attacks and the absence of perceived social support in
the medium and long term.
Thirdly, we hypothesised that long-term co-morbidities would be linked to the presence of
PTSD in the medium term (Bugge et al., 2017; Vázquez et al., 2008), to a high level of exposure
during the attack (Glad et al., 2016; Monfort & Afzali, 2017; Vázquez et al., 2008) to severe
peri-traumatic reactions experienced around the attack (Henriksen et al., 2010), to the absence
of perceived social support in the medium and long term (Fekih-Romdhane et al., 2017; Wood
et al., 2013), to psychological and psychiatric histories, to female gender (Dyb et al., 2014;
Hales et al., 2014; Salguero et al., 2011) and secondary exposure to the attacks in November
2015.As the second round of the IMPACTS survey was conducted from June to October 2016,
people participated in the survey both before and after the attacks in Nice in 2016. We
hypothesised that among people who were interviewed after the Nice 2016 attacks, PTSD
would be more frequent as a result of a potential effect of secondary exposure to trauma.
Fourthly, we made some hypotheses concerning explanatory factors. One of them was that
gender would be linked to peri-traumatic reactions experienced after the event (Elhai et al.,
2006; Hamama-Raz et al., 2015; Maguen et al., 2012) and the presence of psychological and
traumatic history. In fact, according to the literature, women face more violence than men and
therefore have a potentially more traumatic life history (Morin et al., 2013). We also
hypothesised that the level of exposure (being close to the aggression, being directly threatened)
9
could have influenced the perceptions of social support, and that the most exposed people had
the strongest peri-traumatic reactions.
2.3.2. Variables used
Outcomes. The two variables of interest in our study, the presence of PTSD in the medium (6-
10 months) and in the long term (18-22 months), were constructed from the presence of PTSD
in the last month measured in each round (T1 and T2) of the survey using the MINI (Mini-
International Neuropsychiatric Interview v6 DSM IV, (Sheehan et al., 1998)). The MINI is a
structured interview developed jointly by psychiatrists and clinicians in the United States and
Europe, for the diagnosis of 17 psychiatric disorders aministrated in face-to-face by non-
specialsed interviewer, it is a validated gold standard (Spoont et al., 2013).
These variables were binary (1 in presence of PTSD and 0 in absence of PTSD).
Latent variables. All other variables used in this model were ordinal and categorical; they
were all recoded to go in the same direction as a latent variable to reflect the same concept.
Comorbidities were constructed using the two items: (i) the presence of major depressive
episode in the last two weeks in the medium and long term (at least once at T1 or T2/neither
in T1 nor T2) measured with the MINI and (ii) the presence of at least one of these anxiety
disorders: generalised anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia and social phobia, in the medium
and long term (at least once at T1 or T2/ neither in T1 nor T2) measured with the MINI
(Pettersson et al., 2018).
A high level of exposure was constructed using three items: (i) a high subjective exposure
score(a score >5 indicated high exposure), (ii) the type of exposure(which was constructed
using 20 questions that defined whether people had been directly threatened, indirectly
threatened or had indirectly witnessed) and (iii) physical proximity with the perpetrators(where
10
the person was during the event: within 10 meters of the terrorists/very close to the event site,
in an adjacent room/in a nearby building or on an adjacent street/elsewhere).We have therefore
considered three types of physical proximity: immediate proximity, distant from the scene of
the event and having lost a loved one.
The variable for severe peri-traumatic reactions around the event was constructed using two
items : (i) acute peri-traumatic stress measured by the STRS score (Shortness of breath,
Tremulousness, Racing heart, and Sweating) (Bracha et al., 2004) which provided information
on the adrenergic reaction (high STRS score>24, we chose the median as the cut-off in the
absence of indications in the literature) and (ii) marked experience of peritraumatic dissociation,
i.e. a high level of exposure felt during the attack (Peritraumatic Dissociative Experience
Questionnaire) (Birmes et al., 2005)(high PDEQ score, >15, we chose a cut-off of 15 on the
basis of the literature (Marmar et al., 1996; Zambaldi et al., 2011)).
The presence of psychological and psychiatric histories in the medium term was constructed
using four items: (i) the presence of psychological support in the past (yes/no), (ii) the presence
of life difficulties experienced in 2014 (yes/no), (iii) the presence of a history of trauma before
the first round of data collection (yes/no) and (iv) taking sleeping pills in the past (yes/no).
The perception of lack of social support at T1 and T2 was constructed from the three perceived
social support items (Melrose et al., 2015; Robert et al., 2017) collected in the medium and long
term after the events: (i) not feeling supported financially (being able to count on someone to
help in case of financial or material need: yes/no), (ii) not feeling supported in daily life (being
able to count on someone to help in daily life : yes/no) and (iii) not feeling supported (being
able to count on someone to provide moral or emotional support: yes/no).
Other indicators. We introduced four other variables into the model that were directly measured
in the survey questionnaire and maintained as solely observed variables because they did not
11
enable the construction of latent variables: (i) gender (male/female), (ii) presence of a history
of trauma since the first round of data collection (yes/no), (iii) presence of exposure to the
November 2015 attacks (yes/no) and (iv) having responded to the questionnaire in the second
round of the survey, that is to say after the attacks in July 2016 (yes/no).
2.4.Data analyses
The characteristics of the population were described and the proportions and medians were
calculated with 95% confidence intervals.
First of all, we tested the measurement model. We estimated the correlations between the
different observed variables for the same latent variable using Spearman's correlation
coefficient (non-parametric). We then considered there was a correlation if ρ> 0.3 (Falissard,
2011). Secondly, we checked the uni-dimensionality of each latent variable using scree-plots.
Thirdly, we estimated the measurement model using CFA (Confirmatory Factor Analysis) to
check that the measured variables contributed significantly to the constructed latent variables.
We used the WLSMV (Weighted Least Squares Means and Variance) estimator adapted to the
use of ordinal categorical variables (Newsom, 2018). Finally, we estimated the structural
equation model with standardised regression coefficients (-1 to 1). Using a descending stepwise
procedure, the least significant relationships were removed one after the other. The goodness-
of-fit of the CFA and structural model was checked using goodness-of-fit indexes for the
categorical variables (Hutchinson & Olmos, 1998) : the Root Mean Square Error of
Approximation (RMSEA) (>0.08), the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) (<0.95) and the Tucker-
Lewis Index (TLI) (<0.95). In order to estimate the statistical power of the model, we used
Preacher’s method (Preacher & Coffman, 2006), which requires the number of degrees of
freedom to be known (Rigdon, 1994) :  󰇛󰇜
 󰇛󰇜
, were m is the number of
observed variables and e the number of latent variables.
12
All analyses were conducted using R software (version 4.0.2), with the "lavaan" package for
estimation of SEM.
3. RESULTS
3.1.Population
A total of 190 people responded in T1. The participation rate in T2 was 64.7% with 123
participants. Among the participants in T2, the majority were women (61%) and born in France
(95.9%) (Table 1). The median age was 42 years at T1. Concerning the type of exposure, 32
(26%) people were indirect witnesses, 55 (44.7%) people were indirectly threatened and 36
(29.3%) were directly threatened. Concerning their physical proximity with the perpetrators, 13
(10.6%) people were had lost a loved one, but not at the scene, 55 (44.7%) people were in the
immediate vicinity and 55 (44.7%) people were some distance from the street where the attack
took place. Finally, concerning subjective exposure, 29 (24.2%) people reported low exposure
and 91 (75.8%) high exposure.
In the medium term, 16.3% presented PTSD, 32% had at least one anxiety disorder and 42.3%
had current depression. In the long term, 14.6% had PTSD, 43.1% had anxiety disorders and
30.9% had depressive disorders.
3.2.Validation of latent constructs
The correlations across the observed variables of the latent variables ranged from -0.03 to 0.59.
Some observed variables of the latent variable "Psychological and psychiatric history at T1"
were not correlated with each other, so the latent variable was not retained. For this latent
construct, in the model we retained the observed variable: having experienced at least one
trauma in the medium term after the events. The observed variable "subjective exposure” was
removed from the latent variable "High level of exposure" because it was not correlated with
the other observed variables. For latent variables with more than 3 observed variables, the uni-
dimensionality was validated.
13
3.3.Measurement models
A factor analysis was run with five latent variables in the hypothetical model. The estimated
standardised loadings were statistically significant (p-value<0.001) and their values were
greater than 0.5, which meant a robust relationship between the observed variables and their
latent variable. This model enabled close agreement with the data and the proposed dimensional
structure was therefore not rejected: TLI = 0.936, RMSEA = 0.031[0.000-0.072], CFI = 0.958.
The measurement model thus contained 19 measured variables and 5 latent variables. On the
basis of the Preacher’s method presented in "statistical analyses", we estimated the number of
degrees of freedom:  󰇛󰇜
 󰇛󰇜
= 125. The estimated statistical power for
a sample of 123 individuals, an RMSEA between 0.05 and 0.08, a first species risk at 0.05 and
a number of degrees of freedom at 125, was 84% (Sideridis et al., 2014).
3.4.Final model
The final model is shown in Fig 2.PTSD in the medium term (6-10 months) was linked to the
presence of a history of trauma in the medium term (βSD= 0.13 [95% CI: 0.04-0.40]) as well as
to severe peri-traumatic reactions experienced during the attacks SD= 0.40, [95% CI: 0.30-
0.74]) and to the absence of perceived social support in the medium term SD= 0.42, [95% CI:
0.02-0.56]).
Long-term (18-22 months) PTSD was associated with the presence of comorbidities (βSD=
0.64, [95% CI: 0.31-0.70]). The presence of comorbidities was linked to female gender (βSD=
0.22, [95% CI: 0.17-0.63]), PTSD at 6-10 months (βSD= 0.52, [95% CI: 0.32-0.86]) and lack of
social support in the medium term (βSD= 0.49, [95% CI: 0.16-0.61]). Severe peri-traumatic
reactions were linked to a high level of exposure (βSD= 0.26, [95% CI: 0.07-0.62]). The
adjustment indices of the structural model were satisfactory, the RMSEA was 0.00[0.00-
0.03], the CFI was 1.00, and the TLI was 1.05.
14
Fig 2: Final model of relationships between PTSD and the various latent and observed
variables, in the medium and long term after the attacks, IMPACTS 2015-2016 survey.
Circles: latent variables; Boxes: observed variables
4. DISCUSSION
This study shows that the prevalence of PTSD was 16.3% at 6-10 months and 14.6% at 18-22
months after the attacks. An online survey of a nationally representative panel 1 month after
these events showed a prevalence of PTSD of 7.6% (Ben-Ezra et al., 2015). Among people
exposed to the 1996 tube train attacks in France, 41% had PTSD at 6 months and 34% at 18
15
months (Jehel et al., 1999).Among civilians exposed to the November 2015 Paris terror attacks,
48% presented PTSD at 8-11 months of the events (Pirard et al., 2018).
Following the 11 September 2001 attacks in the USA, 17% of residents and workers enrolled
in the World Trade Center Health Registry presented PTSD 2 to 3 years after the events (Welch
et al., 2016). The prevalence of PTSD in our study was lower than the values found in the
literature, which could be explained by the difference in the diagnostic scales used, since the
prevalence of PTSD is more restrictive when measured using the MINI than when measured
with the DTS (Davidson Trauma Scale
1
) (Vázquez et al., 2006).
We found a relationship between medium-term PTSD and severe peri-traumatic reactions to
the attacks, which is consistent with the literature (Brewin et al., 2000; Ozer et al., 2003).
However, SEM showed that peri-traumatic reactions were linked to a high level of exposure.
Our results also highlight a relationship between a history of trauma and PTSD in the medium
term, as others studies (Delahanty & Nugent, 2006; Gilbar et al., 2020; Scharff et al., 2021).
Finally, our results suggest that the lower was the person's perceived social support, the more
likely were these individuals to develop post-traumatic stress disorder. In the literature, social
support, when perceived as positive by the individual, has a positive influence on his or her
mental health (Dyb et al., 2014; Harandi et al., 2017), as well as helping the person to adapt to
a stressful event (Folkman, 2013).
Our results suggest an indirect relationship between PTSD in the medium term and in the long
term, depending on the presence of comorbidities, a finding that is consistent with the results
of other studies. On the one hand, we know PTSD in the medium term is linked to the presence
of comorbidities (Bugge et al., 2017; Vlahov et al., 2002) - symptoms that usually develop over
the medium to long term. On the other hand, the presence of co-morbidities has been reported
to contribute to PTSD (Adams et al., 2019; Vázquez et al., 2006). Furthermore, our results
1
The DTS is a 17-item self-report measure that assesses the 17 DSM-IV symptoms of PTSD
16
indicate the influence of gender on the presence of comorbidities, as reported in the literature
(Hales et al., 2014; Salguero et al., 2011).
We found an association between social support and medium-term PTSD and comorbidities.
However, we did not find any association between social support and PTSD in the long term.
We therefore hypothesise that the absence of social support indirectly influences PTSD in the
long term, but that this relationship is mediated by PTSD in the medium term and the presence
of comorbidities in the long term.
Nor did we find a relationship between a history of trauma and PTSD in the long term. We
therefore hypothesise that a history of trauma is more likely to influence medium-term PTSD,
as suggested by our results.
We also initially hypothesised that secondary exposure to the attacks in November 2015 attacks
would be linked to PTSD in the long term as well as to the presence of comorbidities. This
relationship was not however found, so we suppose that the small number of people exposed
secondarily (n = 23) did not enable us to highlight this relationship. Similarly, we do not find
an association between PTSD in the long term and having been interviewed after July 2016 at
T2 probably in relation to the geographical distance of this event, which did not cause
reactivation of PTSD among these people.
Finally, we did not find a relationship between gender and peri-traumatic reactions, or a history
of psychological and psychiatric disturbances. Some authors consider that it is the over-
activation of neural networks in the processing of fear that could explain gender differences in
the prevalence of PTSD (Olff et al., 2007). It can be assumed from our results that gender is
linked to trauma in the medium term (with men experiencing fewer traumatic events than
women) and to peritraumatic reactions (with men having a lesser need to process fear than
women) and thus indirectly PTSD.
17
5. LIMITATIONS
This study has several limitations. Firstly, recruitment was carried out on a voluntary basis, it
is therefore possible that there was a selection bias in the initial participation (at T1): the least
exposed, those who were doing well, may have felt that they did not qualify to participate or,
conversely, the most exposed, those who were doing worst, were not in a state to participate.
Secondly, the small sample size probably did not enable us to find certain relationships, for
instance between secondary exposure to the November 2015 attacks and PTSD. Thirdly, we
could not infer causal relationships because we were not able to measure the state of mental
health before the attack, but we do have proxy variables measuring the existence of treatment
or psychological follow-up before the attack and some characteristics could have changed
between measurement times (social support, etc.). Finally, our study certainly presents biases.
We admit a potential memory bias concerning issues relating to peritraumatic reactions and the
level of perceived exposure, which were collected 6-10 months after the event.
Nevertheless, our study has several strengths. Firstly, the study was carried out very soon after
the event, and recruitment aiming to reach as many exposed people as possible was a demanding
process. Secondly, mental health outcomes and peri-traumatic reactions were measured using
reliable, standardised diagnostic tools. Thirdly, a study conducted as part of the IMPACTS
survey (Vuillermoz et al., 2020) indicated that attrition in the long term was not associated with
exposure or mental health disorders in the medium term. Thus, it is unlikely that there was an
attrition bias between the two rounds of surveys (for instance those who were the most exposed
or the least disturbed). Fourthly, the statistical power of the model (84%) and the fit indices
were very satisfactory (Asparouhov & Muthen, 2010). However, we found a TLI adjustment
index value slightly higher than 1, which indicates that the indices were probably slightly
overestimated. This can be the case when categorical variables are used (Savalei, 2020; Xia &
Yang, 2019). Fifthly, this survey enabled the study of the phenomenon of secondary exposure
18
of some participants to other attacks that occurred in France (the November 2015 attacks in
Paris and the Nice attack of July 13, 2016 took place during the second round of the survey).
6. CONCLUSION
Our study confirms the role of social support on mental health in the context of mass traumatic
events, or of gender on the presence of comorbidities. It suggests that it is not medium-term
PTSD directly that influences the presence of long-term PTSD but that medium-term PTSD
leads to comorbidities which in turn influence the presence of long-term PTSD. Also, that it is
not having a high level of exposure that influences PTSD but the presence of peri-traumatic
reactions (itself influenced by a high level of exposure).
This implies for research that these variables/relationships should be taken into account in the
analyses, for public health, this article suggests the importance of providing "early" social
support in preventing the presence of PTSD, anxiety and depressive disorders. In the case of
future mass traumatic events there is a need (i) to screen more for peri-traumatic reactions
during the attack, (ii) to take into account the "feeling" of exposure rather than the categories
of exposure, (iii) to raise awareness in the entourage of those exposed about the importance of
their support and (iv) to screen for anxiety and depressive disorders and PTSD at an early stage.
It would be interesting to test this model on another population exposed to mass trauma in order
to clarify, and validate or invalidate our hypotheses.
Funding Statement
The IMPACTS survey was financially funded by the “Fondationd’Aide aux Victimes” and was
coordinated by Santé publique France and the Greater Paris regional health agency (ARS-IdF).
The funding bodies had no role in the design of the study, data collection, analysis,
interpretation of data, and writing the manuscript.
19
Acknowledgements
The authors are most grateful to all the study participants for their involvement especially given
the very difficult context for them, and to all the interviewers. The authors would like to
acknowledge the support from the national French agency for public health as well as the
regional agency for health of Paris area: Anne Gallay, Thierry Cardoso, Anne Laporte, Jean
Claude Desenclos, ClothildeHachin, NaineIsserlis, Michel Gentile, Laurent Kosorotoff, Martial
Mettendorf, Claude Evin, and François Bourdillon for generously contribution their time and
energy to the conduct of IMPACTS study. A special thanks to Laurent Bernard-Brunel, Thierry
Baubet, Alexandra Botero, Jean-Michel Coq, Nathalie Cholin, Nicolas Dantchev, Elise Neff,
Marc Grohens, Aurelia Rochedreux, Toufik Selma, Laure Zeltner and Julien Sonnesi for their
field investigation. We wish to thank the members of the scientific committee of the study. We
wish to thank Sarah Verdier Leyshon and Angela Swaine Verdier for their careful reading of
the final manuscript.
Availability of data and materials
The data that support the findings of this study are available from The French Public Health
Agency (Santé Publique France), but restrictions apply to the availability of these data, which
were used under license for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Data are
however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of The French
Public Health Agency.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
The IMPACTS survey received approval from the Committee of Ethics and Deontology (CED)
of Santé Publique France in 2015, and from CNIL (the French National Commission on
Informatics and Liberties, notice No. 915262), CPP (the French ethical research committee,
notice No. 3283) and CCTIRS (the French Advisory Committee on Information Processing in
20
Material Research in the Field of Health, notice No. 150522B-31). Written informed consent
was obtained from all participants.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Declaration of interest: none
Category of proposed article: Article with an empirical dimension
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Table
Table 1: Descriptive Table of Characteristics of IMPACTS study participants
31
Participants at 6-10 months
n = 123
Participants at 18-22 months
n = 123
N (%)
N (%)
Female
75 (61.0)
Median age [min - max]
42 [23 - 79]
43 [24 - 80]
Marital status
Single
43 (35)
47 (38.2)
Divorced
11 (8.9)
9 (7.3)
Married
69 (56.1)
67 (54.5)
Educational level
Third-level education
89 (73)
High-school diploma or less
33 (27)
Born in France
118 (95.9)
Type of exposure
Indirect witnesses
32 (26)
Indirectly threatened
55 (44.7)
Directly threatened
36 (29.3)
Physical proximity with the perpetrators
Having lost a loved one
13 (10.6)
Immediate proximity
55 (44.7)
Distant from the scene of the event
55 (44.7)
Median STRS score [min - max]
24 [0 - 52]
High PDEQ score (>15)
66 (54.5)
High level of perceived terror exposure
91 (75.8)
No everyday-support in life
14 (11.4)
14 (11.4)
No financial support
26 (21.1)
24 (19.5)
Social isolation
20 (16.3)
27 (22)
Pre-event psychological follow-up
37 (30.1)
Difficult life event the previous year
46 (38)
32
History of trauma
68 (55.3)
51 (41.5)
Psychological follow-up in the past
26 (21.1)
Secondary exposure in the November 2015 attacks
23 (18.7)
Having been interviewed at T2 before the terrorist
attack in Nice in 2016
49 (39.8)
PTSD in the last month
20 (16.3)
18 (14.6)
At least one anxiety disorder
39 (32)
53 (43.1)
Current depression
52 (42.3)
38 (30.9)
... In order to improve the future management of people exposed to distressing events, it is important to monitor people with intense peritraumatic reactions, high levels of anxiety and depression, and to measure reactions [5]. Given that Benin's military troops have very rarely been confronted with situations of war or armed aggression, and given the scarcity of data on the mental health of military personnel after combat in Africa, this mission took the opportunity to carry out a study with the aim of determining the psychological impact of the events experienced by the victims, in order to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). ...
... The general stampede caused by such tactics induces a sense of abandonment at the individual level, breaking down the sense of belonging and cohesion customary in the army. However, Vincent et al. also explain that it is not a high level of exposure that influences post-traumatic stress disorder, but the presence of peritraumatic reactions [5]. And our study found a high prevalence of peritraumatic dissociation (100%), peritraumatic distress (94.44%) and acute stress (88.89%). ...
... Another study looked at PTSD in people exposed 6 to 10 months (mediumterm) and 18 to 22 months (long-term) after the attacks of 9/11. The results showed that the prevalence of PTSD was 16.3% at 6-10 months and 14.6% at 18-22 months after the attacks (Vincent et al., 2023). ...
Article
Full-text available
Background: The words people use in everyday life tell us about their emotions, their mental state and allow us to understand how people process and interpret an event. Previous research has established a link between the content analysis of narrative texts and the psychopathology of people who have experienced trauma. Objectives: This study examines whether the development of PTSD following exposure to a previous traumatic event alters the way people express themselves in the context of an anxiety-provoking event, the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study is based on semi-structured interviews conducted during the first lockdown period in France (23 April–16 May 2020) with people exposed to the 13 November 2015 attacks (N = 31) and nonexposed people (N = 57). Results: People with PTSD had longer narratives and used more first-person singular pronouns, lower first-person plural pronouns, more words related to negative emotions and anxiety compared to the nonexposed group. Within the PTSD group, there was no significant difference between the use of words related to the attacks and the pandemic. Conversely, the nonexposed group used more words related to the COVID-19 pandemic compared to words related to the attacks. Conclusion: These results confirm, as have other studies, that a history of PTSD can specifically modify the style and narrative of past experiences. They underline the importance of including linguistic analyses in psychological assessments of PTSD.
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Purpose of review Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) strain available healthcare resources requiring unusual actions. Within a trauma system, hospitals receiving patients from an MCI have a defined key role in the care of the casualties and their preparedness is critical for patient outcome. The aim of this review is to address recent relevant literature to highlight important elements necessary for an adequate hospital response to an MCI. Recent findings That disaster preparedness is a prerequisite for success during an MCI is undisputable. Key components in the hospital response to an MCI like triage, communication, leadership, security, and surge capacity are areas that still need attention. There has been an increased focus on optimal treatment of children and their families, and the psychosocial support for patients and staff involved. Summary The complexity and unpredictability of MCIs demands a predefined strategy within every hospital. This strategy should include increased attention to the specific needs for children, physical security and psychological support but not at the expense of frequent training of staff. Involvement of dedicated clinical leadership both during disaster preparedness planning, training and during actual MCIs is irreplaceable.
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Introduction and definitions: Civilian gunshot violence is a growing public health issue on a global scale. Treatment of patients with gunshot injuries is based on algorithms derived from military studies, but the distinct differences in weaponry, energy of injury, timing and type of care, and environment translate to a gap in knowledge. With a focus on non-accidental gunshot trauma and excluding suicide etiologies, we propose to build a collaborative research group to address important questions focused on best practices for gunshot injury patients. Pre-hospital care: There are important differences in the care of gunshot victims across the globe; some countries provide advanced interventions in the field and others deliver basic support until transport to a higher level of care in hospital. Some simple interventions include the use of extremity tourniquets and intravenous fluid support; others to consider are tranexamic acid, whole blood, and hemostatic agents. Acute treatment: Control of exsanguinating hemorrhage is a key priority for gunshot injuries. Military doctrine has evolved to prioritize exsanguination over airway or breathing as the critical first step. The X-ABC protocol focuses on exsanguinating hemorrhage, then standard evaluation of Airway, Breathing and Circulation (ABCs) to enhance survival in trauma patients. The timing of bony stabilization, in terms of damage-control vs definitive care, needs further study in this population, as does use of antibiotics for bony extremity injuries. Finally, recognition of the mental health effects of gun trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, substance abuse and depression is important in advocating for prevention such as implementation of social support and specific interventions. Definitive care: The need for abdominal closure after exploratory laparotomy, definitive fracture treatment, and other treatment all contribute to length of stay for gunshot injured patients. Optimizing stabilization allows earlier mobilization and decreases nosocomial complications. Nerve injuries are often a source of long-term disability and their evaluation and treatment require further investigation. Resources and ethics: There are growing numbers of mass-casualty gunshot events, which require consideration of how to organize and use resources for treatment, including staff, operating room access, blood products, and order of treatment. Drills and planning for incident command hierarchy and communication are key to optimizing resource utilization. The ethics of choosing treatment priorities and resources are important considerations as well.
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One approach to understanding perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) by men focuses upon their childhood exposure to abuse or neglect as traumatic experiences, which may lead to PTSD symptoms; these symptoms can serve as risk factors for IPV perpetration. Another approach looks at the societal aspects of inequality between men and women as promoting male dominance over women and leading to IPV. The aim of the current study was to incorporate elements of each approach based on social learning theory through examining the role of dominance as a mediator between early childhood trauma, PTSD symptoms, and IPV perpetration severity. Participants consisted of 234 men drawn randomly from those receiving treatment at 66 domestic violence centers throughout Israel. They completed versions of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale for IPV and Conflict Tactics Scale Parent-Child for history of family exposure to violence and physical neglect, the International Trauma Questionnaire for PTSD, and the Dominance Scale. The results indicated an indirect association between physical neglect in childhood and psychological, physical IPV severity, via PTSD and dominance. The results suggest a more integrated way of conceptualizing trauma, PTSD, and power and control issues for the perpetration of IPV. In addition, they emphasize the need to develop trauma-informed interventions that focus on dominance alongside other important trauma-relevant core themes that increase risk for IPV.
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Background: Non-participation and attrition are rarely studied despite being important methodological issues when performing post-disaster studies. A longitudinal survey of civilians exposed to the January 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, France, was conducted 6 (Wave 1) and 18 months (Wave 2) after the attacks. We described non-participation in Wave 1 and determined the factors associated with attrition in Wave 2. Methods: Multivariate logistic regression models were used to compare participants in both waves with those who participated in the first wave only. Analyses were performed taking the following factors into account: socio-demographic characteristics, exposure to terror, peri-traumatic reactions, psychological support, perceived social support, impact on work, social and family life, and mental health disorders. Characteristics of new participants in Wave 2 were compared with participants in both waves using a chi-square test. Results: Of the 390 persons who were eligible to participate in the survey, 190 participated in Wave 1 (participation rate: 49%). The most frequently reported reason for non-participation was to avoid being reminded of the painful event (32%, n = 34/105). In Wave 2, 67 were lost to follow-up, 141 people participated, of whom 123 participated in Wave 1 (re-participation rate: 65%) and 18 were new. Attrition in Wave 2 was associated with socio-demographic characteristics (age, French origin) and location during the attacks, but not with terror exposure or mental health disorders. Compared with those who participated in both waves, new participants declared less social and psychological support since the attacks. Conclusions: Attrition at 6 months was not associated with exposure to terror or mental health disorders, which indicates that any bias in future analyses on IMPACTS on mental health outcomes will be limited. Our findings suggest the importance of adapting similar surveys for people of foreign origin and of improving strategies to avoid attrition of younger people, for example by using social media, peers, and the educational environment. The present study also revealed that a high level of exposure to terror and a lack of social and psychological support after a terrorist event could impede individuals' participation in similar surveys in the short term.
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Current computations of commonly used fit indices in structural equation modeling (SEM), such as RMSEA and CFI, indicate much better fit when the data are categorical than if the same data had not been categorized. As a result, researchers may be led to accept poorly fitting models with greater frequency when data are categorical. In this article, I first explain why the current computations of categorical fit indices lead to this problematic behavior. I then propose and evaluate alternative ways to compute fit indices with categorical data. The proposed computations approximate what the fit index values would have been had the data not been categorized. The developments in this article are for the DWLS (diagonally weighted least squares) estimator, a popular limited information categorical estimation method. I report on the results of a simulation comparing existing and newly proposed categorical fit indices. The results confirmed the theoretical expectation that the new indices better match the corresponding values with continuous data. The new fit indices performed well across all studied conditions, with the exception of binary data at the smallest studied sample size (N = 200), when all categorical fit indices performed poorly.
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During the evening of 13 November 2015, the deadliest terror attacks in France in recent times occurred in the Paris area. Overall, 130 people were killed, 643 were physically injured and several thousands were psychologically impacted. Thousands of first responders, including health professionals, firefighters, affiliated volunteers and police officers were mobilized that night and during the subsequent weeks. The aims of our study were to measure the psychological impact on first responders in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and partial PTSD as well as associated factors 12 months after the 13 November 2015 terrorist attacks. First responders who had intervened during the night and/or the aftermath of the terror attacks had the possibility of answering a web-based study 8-12 months after the attacks. They satisfied criterion A of the DSM 5 definition of PTSD. PTSD and partial PTSD were measured using the PCL-5. Gender, age, educational level, exposure, first responder category, mental health and traumatic event history, training and social support were all analysed as potential factors associated with PTSD and partial PTSD, using multinomial logistic regression. Overall, 663 participants were included in this analysis. Prevalence of PTSD in our sample went from 3.4% among firefighters to 9.5% among police officers and prevalence of partial PTSD from 10.4% among health professionals to 23.2% among police officers. Low educational level and social isolation were associated with PTSD and partial PTSD. Intervention on unsecured crime scenes and lack of training were associated with PTSD. Special attention should be given to first responders living in social isolation, those with low educational levels and those who intervene in unsecured crime scenes. Education and training about the potential mental health consequences of mass trauma intervention should be developed.
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This study examined whether clinical characteristics among patients presenting to residential eating disorder (ED) treatment differed according to patients’ trauma history and current PTSD diagnostic status. Participants (699 girls and women) completed surveys at treatment onset. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) tests assessed cross-sectional differences between three groups of patients: those reporting no trauma history (No Trauma, n = 185), those with trauma history but without PTSD (Trauma, n = 263), and those with current PTSD (PTSD, n = 251). Relative to the No Trauma group, the combined Trauma and PTSD groups reported greater ED symptoms, anxiety and depressive symptoms, experiential avoidance, anxiety sensitivity, and lower mindfulness. The PTSD group reported greater ED, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, greater anxiety sensitivity, and lower mindfulness, relative to the Trauma group. In sum, ED patients with any history of trauma experienced more symptoms and other psychopathology relative to patients who did not report trauma history. Among patients reporting trauma, those with current PTSD experienced even greater symptom severity. Interventions focused on improving emotional functioning could be especially beneficial for ED patients with trauma histories.
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There is a paucity of knowledge concerning the underlying symptomatology of heterogeneous posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) trajectories following mass trauma, such as a terrorist attack. This study examined longitudinal PTSS trajectories using latent growth mixture modeling in 2,355 World Trade Center (WTC) tower survivors surveyed by the WTC Health Registry an average of 2.5, 5.5, and 10.5 years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, WTC-related exposure, and other traumas/stressors. Four curvilinear PTSS trajectories were identified: low symptom (74.9%), recovering (8.0%), worsening (6.7%), and chronic (10.4%). The majority of WTC survivors (85.3%) maintained stable symptom trajectories over time, with PTSS changes occurring less often. Although WTC-related exposure was associated with initial PTSS severity, exposure was not associated with chronicity or change of PTSS over time. Male gender and a higher number of post-WTC disaster life-stressors were associated with worsening symptom severity over time. Individuals with more severe hyperarousal symptoms at Wave 1, particularly of anxious arousal, were more likely to have PTSS that worsened over time, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.55. Less severe emotional numbing symptoms, particularly of dysphoria, at Wave 1, were marginally significantly associated with subsequent PTSS recovery, aOR = 0.75. Interventions that target hyperarousal and emotional numbing symptoms may mitigate a worsening of symptoms and facilitate posttraumatic recovery following future mass traumas, such as terrorist attacks. Further clinical implications are discussed. © 2019 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
Book
While theoretical statistics relies primarily on mathematics and hypothetical situations, statistical practice is a translation of a question formulated by a researcher into a series of variables linked by a statistical tool. As with written material, there are almost always differences between the meaning of the original text and translated text. Additionally, many versions can be suggested, each with their advantages and disadvantages. Analysis of Questionnaire Data with R translates certain classic research questions into statistical formulations. As indicated in the title, the syntax of these statistical formulations is based on the well-known R language, chosen for its popularity, simplicity, and power of its structure. Although syntax is vital, understanding the semantics is the real challenge of any good translation. In this book, the semantics of theoretical-to-practical translation emerges progressively from examples and experience, and occasionally from mathematical considerations. Sometimes the interpretation of a result is not clear, and there is no statistical tool really suited to the question at hand. Sometimes data sets contain errors, inconsistencies between answers, or missing data. More often, available statistical tools are not formally appropriate for the given situation, making it difficult to assess to what extent this slight inadequacy affects the interpretation of results. Analysis of Questionnaire Data with R tackles these and other common challenges in the practice of statistics.