Press Releases
Mount Sinai: 9/11 Heroes Have PTSD at Rates Much Higher than the General Population
Washington, DC,
May 19, 2008
Today, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and
Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, and Edolphus Towns said that a
new study by Mount Sinai Medical Center showing high rates of
psychological distress among World Trade Center responders underscores
the need for a strong federal response to the health impacts of the
9/11 attacks. Of the more than 10,000 workers who participated in the
Mount Sinai study (a full copy of the report can be found on the
Environmental Health Perspectives website starting at 3pm today), 11%
met criteria for probable Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); 8.8%
had probable depression; 5.0% had probable panic disorder; and 62% had
substantial stress reaction. According to Mount Sinai, the rate of
PTSD among 9/11 responders is significantly greater than in the general
population and is on par with the rate experienced by veterans of the
war in Afghanistan.
"Mount Sinai's report once again proves what we have
known for a long time - that our heroes from 9/11 continue to have
ongoing mental and physical health needs that need to be addressed.
While the physical toll on our first responders is easy to recognize,
the mental stress that many of them are suffering can hide easily in
plain sight. Our first responders and their families continue to suffer
and it is our moral obligation to help them. I will continue to work
with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that those impacted by 9/11
have the care and treatment they need," Senator Clinton said.
“9/11 responders were the first veterans of the war on terror and the psychological trauma they experienced is real and ongoing,” said Rep. Maloney. “Mount Sinai’s report is even more evidence that administration needs to finally deliver a plan to ensure that 9/11 responders can get the mental and physical health care they need. It’s been more than six years since the attacks and while it can never be too late to help the heroes of 9/11, the time for this president to take action is now.” “We now have the science to back up what we have long known – much more needs to be done to help those brave first responders who are still suffering the physical and psychological consequences of 9/11,” said Rep. Nadler. “They put their lives in danger to help us in our time of need. The federal government has a moral imperative to provide the living victims of 9/11 with the care they need and deserve.” "This study confirms what New Yorkers already know -- the effects of 9/11 persist more than six years later,” said Rep. Towns. “The heroes of 9/11 need treatment for mental health symptoms as well as physical health issues. We'll continue the fight to provide the quality health care these heroes deserve." |