A year on, the psychological impact of the terror attacks on New York and Washington still lingers over the USA.
An Internet-based health survey of a group of US citizens carried out by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, reveals many are still distressed by the memory of 9/11. Psychological trauma was by no means confined to those who were directly affected.

The researchers found that 17 per cent of the population outside New York City were profoundly upset two months after the attacks and six per cent continued to be affected six months on. Those who suffered most and for longest were those who were in a state of denial or distraction. It is better to engage directly with the distress, the researchers say. However, in most cases, the psychological symptoms are a normal response to catastrophe, and should not be considered to be a mental illness.