Open AccessTerrorism's Psychologic Effects and Their Implications for Primary Care Policy, Research, and Education
Author(s) -
Eisenman David P.,
Stein Bradley D.,
Tanielian Terri L.,
Pincus Harold Alan
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of general internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.746
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 1525-1497
pISSN - 0884-8734
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0192.x
Subject(s) - medicine , psychosocial , primary care , mental health , terrorism , suicide prevention , poison control , medline , nursing , health care , medical emergency , psychiatry , family medicine , archaeology , political science , law , economics , history , economic growth
This paper examines primary care physicians' (PCP) roles in helping the nation prepare for, respond to, and recover from the psychologic consequences of chemical, biologic, radiologic, or nuclear (CBRN) terrorism. First, we discuss the psychologic consequences of a CBRN attack and PCPs' roles in responding to these consequences. Second, we analyze these roles in light of the known barriers to delivering high‐quality, primary care–based, mental health care. Third, we offer recommendations for mitigating these barriers and preparing PCPs to respond to the psychosocial consequences of a CBRN weapon. Importantly, our recommendations provide dual‐use benefits to PCPs faced with the daily concerns of primary care mental health, including improved linkages and electronic connectivity with mental health, information technology, and decision support for providers, and needed education and research.