Americans cope with lingering trauma

CHICAGO, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Although seven of 10 Americans said they were not afraid to fly on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, a survey found some Americans still suffer from symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder haunted by memories of the tragedy.

Another survey showed more people trust the U.S. government now more than before Sept. 11, 2001.

"The events of Sept. 11 were experienced both as primary and secondary, or vicarious trauma," said Richard Grant, a psychologist in Philadelphia.

Grant said people who experience secondary trauma from watching traumatic events often fall through the therapeutic net and are less likely to seek help. Grant said symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder can include stress, chronic fatigue, diminished self-care, headaches, and other somatic complaints that can depress the body's immune system, trigger substance abuse or lead to premature death.

Mental health experts advised stressed out people to turn off the blanket television and radio coverage of Sept. 11 memorials, especially replays of the hijacked planes crashing into buildings, and instead read about the remembrances in newspapers.

A year of economic uncertainty and heightened world tensions have taken a toll on workers, according to CIGNA Behavioural Health. A survey released last month showed 44 percent of those asked thought their jobs were more stressful and 45 percent said they had considered quitting or planned to leave their current employer in the near future.

"Over the past year, American workers have had to persevere through some extraordinarily trying times," said Dr. Keith Dixon, president of Eden Prairie, Minn.-based CIGNA Behavioural Health. "With retirement nest eggs cracking, job security waning and terrorist threats still on the radar screen, employees are facing stresses that are causing them to rethink their priorities."

The survey, "Worried At Work: Mood and Mindsets in the American Workplace," questioned 750 employees at 200 companies nationwide.

A survey by Colliers International found security improvements at 50 Class A office buildings put in place after Sept. 11 had not significantly declined a year after the attacks. The survey questioned building owners in 11 major cities from New York to Los Angeles.

Some workers stayed home from the Sears Tower, the tallest building in North America, and at least one business closed for the day, but other workers said they were not frightened about possible terrorism.

"We can't let them defeat us," said an office worker as she walked toward the 110-floor, charcoal glass tower ringed by protective 3-foot red, white and blue concrete barriers. All Chicago officers wore their uniforms Thursday to increase police visibility.

"I feel we are totally protected by the government of the United States," said another woman as she entered the 1,450-foot building.

"There was a concern that as the crisis receded, buildings would relax their level of security as companies returned to business as usual," said Russ Moore, vice president and director of research for Colliers International. "We were pleased and surprised to discover that building owners continue to place a high priority on the security for their properties even a year after the events of Sept. 11."

Passenger air traffic was lighter than usual at major airports but most people showed up for their scheduled flights. The American Automobile Club said only 31 percent of people it surveyed said they would be less likely to fly Wednesday.

Air security concerns ranked second only to airfare costs, 40 percent vs. 41 percent, in the AAA poll.

Dr. Alan Resnick told WBBM-AM all 60 of the passengers with reservations on his United Air Lines flight from Minneapolis to Chicago showed up and the pilot asked for a moment of silence after reaching cruising altitude to commemorate the time the first hijacked plane slammed into the World Trade Center.

An Internet survey conducted last month found 57 percent of those asked either had "a lot of trust" or "some trust" in the federal government, up from 53 percent last summer. The percentage of respondents expressing "little or no trust" in the Bush administration fell to 43 percent from 47 percent last year.

People 18-to-24 were the most trusting and most sceptical of the federal government, with 13 percent saying they had "a lot of trust" and 14 percent saying they had "no trust." Men had slightly more trust in the government than women.

The "2002 Personal Opinion and Lifestyle Study" was conducted by Arlington, Texas-based Decision Analyst Inc., a leading market research firm.

A Lions Clubs International survey of 1,000 Americans found most continued to volunteer help to charities and community organizations, with 83 percent reporting they donated time or money for a community service activity this year -- the same percentage as last year.

"Even in an extremely difficult year when Americans wanted to spend more time with their families, it is encouraging that we have maintained our national commitment to voluntarism," said Lions Clubs International President Kay Fukushima.