Predictors of treatment utilization in world trade center attack disaster workers: role of race/ethnicity and symptom severity.

Overview

This study examined treatment utilization in disaster workers deployed to the World Trade Center (WTC) during or after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Among 174 workers who accepted psychotherapy referrals following psychiatric screening for WTC-related symptoms, 74 (42.5%) attended at least one session, while 100 (57.5%) chose not to attend at all. The study assessed whether treatment utilization was associated with sociodemographic background, trauma history, psychiatric history, WTC attack exposure, diagnoses, or symptom severity. Analyses indicated that, of study variables, race/ethnicity and clinician-rated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptom severity distinguished workers who utilized treatment from those who did not. Implications for outreach and referral are discussed.