-Caveat Lector- Psychiatrists Urged to Prepare For Chemical Or Biological Terrorists Attack Attack -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WESTPORT, Oct 12 (Reuters Health) - Biological and chemical weapons pose a very real domestic threat, and psychiatrists should be trained to deal with such an attack in the opinion of Dr. Cleto DiGiovanni, Jr., of the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. DiGiovanni reviews the potential neuropsychiatric effects of such an attack in the October issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Nerve agents such as sarin, tabun, soman and VX can cause intellectual impairment, anxiety, psychomotor retardation, and sleep disturbances, Dr. DiGiovanni writes. In some instances, he says, exposure to nerve agents has caused "...depressed mood, social withdrawal, insomnia with unpleasant dreams and 'antisocial thoughts'." Just the threat of a chemical or biological attack can cause widespread somatization disorders, acute stress, anger and anxiety, and actual disasters have long-lasting psychological effects, according to Dr. DiGiovanni. He notes that 18 months after the 1979 partial meltdown of the reactor core at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, area residents reported "...significantly greater emotional stress, more global symptoms and somatic complaints, and higher levels of anxiety and alienation than control groups." Now is the time for psychiatrists to prepare for such disasters, Dr. DiGiovanni urges. "The psychiatrist should review his or her hospital's mass disaster response plan to ensure that the mental health component is more than token." He adds that efforts should be made to coordinate services without duplicating efforts. "This coordination process should serve as a vehicle by which the psychiatrist can educate others about the potential impact of psychological casualties on the community, the spectrum of normal-to-abnormal emotions reactions that may occur, and crisis intervention techniques." Dr. DiGiovanni concludes with a solemn warning. "Remote though the possibility of a terrorist-authored chemical or biological incident in an American community may be, we must prepare for one. The agents are too easy to acquire or manufacture and too easy to disperse for us to ignore that possibility." Am J Psychiatry 1999;156:1500-1505. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
