How terrorism affects mental well-being

"I cannot go back to Dusit. Just driving past the hotel gives me anxiety,” says a survivor in an article during the recent first anniversary of the DusitD2 terrorist attack.

The emotions are echoed by survivors of the 1998 US Embassy bombing, Westgate and Garissa University siege and other terrorist attacks Kenyans have had to endure.

Terrorism is a global concern. Still, the threats have a significant impact on our politics, economy and socialisation. And they also have a complex mental health effect.

Beyond the visible attack on lives and property, terror is a form of psychological warfare.

Contemporary use of the word “terrorism” is rarely neutral. This is a multifaceted phenomenon that generally involves the judgement of the perpetrators’ motivations and origin.

In the dictionary, terror is synonymous with fear, and this can be extrapolated to mean that terrorism is something that causes and sustains fear.

Terrorism disrupts our way of life and punches holes in our mental defences.

When attackers raid a military base in Lamu or gunmen shoot teachers in Garissa, people everywhere are hyper-vigilant and uneasy.

The survivors, their families and the public are confronted continually with the narratives.

The dread of terrorism is embedded in our collective consciousness and every attack seems to leave a lingering negative effect that makes us fearful, hostile and ethnocentric.

Social scientists studying the impact of terrorism agree that it’s not only actual destruction and injury, but the threat of violence and ensuing psychological effects.

Some studies have associated terrorism trauma with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, mood disorders, alcohol abuse and risky behaviours.

However, exposure to terrorism does not equal mental illness; indeed, not every Kenyan exposed to terrorism has developed a psychiatric illness.

Although a minority develop a severe mental illness, terrorism seems to persist; there is a need for a comprehensive strategy to address the trauma.

In a resource-constrained country like Kenya, it may be tempting to put psychological first aid in the back burner as we deal with the emergent injuries and settlement of victims.

But the few studies conducted in Africa show that terrorism victims have similar mental health risk as the Western ones.

Medical and psychological support is needed. A reasonable strategy could be victim follow-up, where mental health professionals screen and treat persisting psychological trauma.

Besides, it may be useful to encourage an analysis of terrorist incidents that highlight our will to survive and endure.

Perhaps, this era of terror doesn’t have to be a cultural apocalypse. As we search for meaning to make sense of the traumatic experiences, we can make an effort to reframe the experience, restore a sense of community and explore the opportunities to actively promote post-terrorism adaptation and resilience.

The terrorist attacks may subside, but that will not be the end of their effects.

What happens to the individual and collective mentality ought to be addressed by mental health professionals and policymakers to construct a stable future.

Dr Kimani is a lecturer at Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa.