Mount Sinai: 9/11 Heroes Have PTSD at Rates Much Higher than the General Population

New York, NY – Today, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, Vito Fossella, and Edolphus Towns said that a new study by Mount Sinai School of Medicine showing high rates of psychological distress among World Trade Center responders underscores the need for a strong federal response to the health impacts of the 9/11 attacks.  Of the more than 10,000 workers who participated in the Mount Sinai study (click here for a full copy of the report), 11% met criteria for probable Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); 8.8% had probable depression; 5.0% had probable panic disorder; and 62% had substantial stress reaction.  According to Mount Sinai, the rate of PTSD among 9/11 responders is significantly greater than in the general population and is on par with the rate experienced by veterans of the war in Afghanistan.

"Mount Sinai's report once again proves what we have known for a long time - that our heroes from 9/11 continue to have ongoing mental and physical health needs that need to be addressed. While the physical toll on our first responders is easy to recognize, the mental stress that many of them are suffering can hide easily in plain sight. Our first responders and their families continue to suffer and it is our moral obligation to help them. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that those impacted by 9/11 have the care and treatment they need," Senator Clinton said.

“9/11 responders were the first veterans of the war on terror and the psychological trauma they experienced is real and ongoing,” said Rep. Maloney.  “Mount Sinai’s report is even more evidence that administration needs to finally deliver a plan to ensure that 9/11 responders can get the mental and physical health care they need.  It’s been more than six years since the attacks and while it can never be too late to help the heroes of 9/11, the time for this president to take action is now.”

“We now have the science to back up what we have long known – much more needs to be done to help those brave first responders who are still suffering the physical and psychological consequences of 9/11,” said Rep. Nadler.  “They put their lives in danger to help us in our time of need.  The federal government has a moral imperative to provide the living victims of 9/11 with the care they need and deserve.”

“We know the enormous physical toll of 9/11 on our first responders, but this report provides insight into the mental stress the terrorist attacks had on our unsung heroes,” said Rep. Fossella. “This report serves as a wake up call that the federal government must stop delaying and finally provide the 9/11 responders with the care they need.”

"This study confirms what New Yorkers already know -- the effects of 9/11 persist more than six years later,” said Rep. Towns.  “The heroes of 9/11 need treatment for mental health symptoms as well as physical health issues. We'll continue the fight to provide the quality health care these heroes deserve."

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