Aftermath: Talk Helps

In response to the stress that APA staff endured the day of the terrorist attacks and in the weeks afterward, APA’s administrative staff held two lunchtime sessions in which staff’s response to the traumatic events was discussed. Leading those sessions were Steven Mirin, M.D., APA medical director; Lloyd Sederer, M.D., director of the Division of Clinical Services; James Thompson, M.D., director of the Division of Education, Minority, and National Programs; Darrel Regier, M.D., director of the Office of Research and APIRE; and Deborah Hales, M.D., director of the Department of Education and Career Development.

The psychiatrists who led the sessions discussed normal reactions to traumatizing events and the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, emphasizing that most people emerge from exposure to trauma without any need for psychiatric help. Apart from the informational content, however, probably the most valuable aspect of the sessions was that staff had a chance to share their emotions and have their questions answered. Plans for additional lunchtime sessions are under way.