In a special issue of American Psychologist dedicated to the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, psychologists reveal just how influential these terrorist attacks have been on our country, our citizens and our psychology. The issue, “9/11: Ten Years Later,” focuses on the enduring impact of 9/11, including the social-psychological impact; post-traumatic stress disorder; how 9/11 shaped the past decade; how youth were affected by growing in a post-9/11 world; and more.
“The attacks of 9/11 did far more than destroy buildings and kill thousands of innocent people. They interrupted routine patterns and tugged at our social fabric, not simply in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, but across the country as well,” wrote Roxane Cohen Silver of the University of California, Irvine, in the journal’s introduction. “They shattered a sense of security and perceptions of invulnerability among residents of the United States and the Western world.”
When the terrorists attacked on 9/11, each person experienced that day and its aftermath in complex but unique ways. EHS Today recently asked readers to share their memories of that day (“Where Were You on Sept. 11, 2001?”). Editor Sandy Smith shared her experience – worrying for days over the fate of her friend in New York City – and now we want to hear from you. Where were you that day? How did 9/11 affect your family, your friends, your work? Finally, how are you different today, 10 years after the attacks?
To share your experience for inclusion in our special 9/11 coverage in the September issue of EHS Today, please email your experiences in 300 words or less to [email protected] with the subject line 9/11. We will publish your recollection anonymously, if you wish, but otherwise please include your name, city and state.
“Even those individuals who did not know anyone who died that day have been touched by the tragedy,” Silver wrote. “We are different now.”