Post-traumatic stress

Terrorist attacks have a profound and lasting psychological impact on exposed civilians and first responders, particularly on civilians who were directly threatened or have lost loved ones, but also on bystanders and family members.

Our Missions

  • Monitoring the psychological and traumatic impact of terrorist acts

  • Providing useful information to improve care

  • Providing information on psychological trauma, its progression, and its determinants

Health Issues

What are the psychological consequences of being exposed to a traumatic event ...

Terrorist attacks are traumatic events whose psychological consequences vary and depend on the nature of the exposure, our life history, and other personal characteristics.

What kinds of medical and psychological support are available after a terrorist ...

Doctors, psychiatrists, and psychologists discuss the key measures that can be implemented immediately or in the aftermath of such events, for both the affected civilian population and the...

What We Do

Terrorist attacks and other traumatic events often cause psychological trauma, even in the absence of physical injuries, not only among the victims, of course, but also among witnesses. Witnessing this type of event can cause suffering that, in the months and years that follow, is likely to become severely debilitating—whether in terms of mental health, social relationships, or overall quality of life. That is why, following the attacks that struck France in 2015, Santé publique France established a monitoring system for the psychotraumatic impact of terrorist acts and the associated care pathways, based on:

The ESPOIR Study

The ESPOIR study focuses on the Paris Fire Department. The study, scheduled for 2020, is being conducted jointly by Santé publique France and the Paris Fire Department.

The PROTECT Project

The international PROTECT research project draws on data from studies conducted in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Norway (Utøya, 2011) and France (Paris, 2015).

Data

The ESPA Survey, November 13

The ESPA 13 November survey was conducted following the November 2015 attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis: the first phase was carried out in 2016 and the second phase in 2020. This project is part of...

The 13/11 Program: Transdisciplinary Research Program on November 13: ...

This is a transdisciplinary research program aimed at studying the formation and evolution of memory in the wake of the November 13, 2015, attacks.

Publications

Here you will find the latest scientific publications related to the studies and research conducted by Santé publique France.

2 publications