Kuwait Airways hijack: Psychological consequences for survivors

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Abstract
This article reports on the psychological reactions of subjects who survived the hijacking of a Kuwait Airways jet in April 1988. Subjects were sent questionnaires within two weeks of their release, and 13 of the 22 survivors replied. Eight of these subjects were showing probable psychological distress and in three of them this was in the severe category. The most common complaints were of anxiety and intrusive memories, and to a lesser extent an inability to function properly at home and at work. Nine survivors replied to a follow‐up six months later; four of them were above the cutoff point for psychological distress. The key features of the survivors' reactions are discussed.