Boston Marathon Bombing & Psychological Response

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On April 15, 2013, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev planted bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, the first major terror attack in America since 9/11. To understand the human psychological response it is important to first understand the importance of the race itself: each year tens of thousands of competitive athletes run in this high profile race. It is most runners' dream to qualify for the Boston Marathon. In Boston, it is a tradition to watch the Boston Marathon for thousands of people. It was a beautiful spring day, with a holiday atmosphere as locals celebrated Patriot's Day. The news of the tragedy spread in spurts and bits, unveiling the story to the world. Three people died and more than 260 injured (Holman, 2014). And the violence continued as a manhunt ensued for the brothers, locking down Boston for a week.

Dr. Manevitz (2013), a clinical psychiatrist and trauma expert notes that everyone experiencing the horrific events (in person or through media) experienced trauma. Dr. Manevitz states, " it is normal have an acute stress reaction which consists of anxiety, hyper-vigilance, greater starter response, grief and horror" as we see traumatic events and worry ...