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Proximity to the 9/11 Terrorist Attack and Suicide Ideation in Police Officers

Social & Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Health Professions, State University of New York at Buffalo 270 Farber Hall, Buffalo, NY 14214; violanti{at}buffalo.edu

Cherie Castellano

Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, University Behavioral HealthCare, and Cop 2 Cop

Julie O'Rourke

private practice and the Cop 2 Cop Police Program

Douglas Paton

School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Australia

Exposure to traumatic incidents including natural and human-initiated disasters may be an important precipitant for suicide. This article explores suicide ideation in police officers, a reportedly high suicide risk group, who worked in the proximity of the September 11, 2001 (9/11), World Trade Center terrorist attack. Data were obtained for a period of 4 years (2001-2004) from Cop 2 Cop, a statewide New Jersey confidential phone hotline provided exclusively for police officers and their families. Results suggested that calls related to suicide ideation increased from pre-9/11 through 3 years post-9/11 and that the risk for urgent care suicide calls post-9/11 increased 1.65 times (95% confidence interval = 0.54-5.04) more quickly over time when compared to pre-9/11 urgent calls. Qualitative as well as descriptive statistical data are presented on suicide ideation and the impact of 9/11 on the personal and occupational lives of officers who called.

Key Words: terrorism • suicide ideation • police • PTSD • disaster trauma • trauma management

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