This study is part of the Child and Adolescent Trauma Treatments and Services (CATS) Consortium, the largest child traumatic stress research related to the September 11th World Trade Center (WTC) disaster (Hoagwood, Vogel, Levitt, et al., 2007). Natural and/or terrorist-made large impact disasters, such as September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to the WTC in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC, and the August 2005 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans have caused death, destruction, moderate to severe psychological disorders and physical illness among local residents (Galea, Brewin, Jones, et al., 2007; Neria, Nandi, & Galea, 2007). The September 11 terrorist attacks loom as the largest and most devastating human-made disaster on U.S. soil, which, in addition to human and financial losses, caused mental health distress among adults and children. Youngsters seem to be more vulnerable to traumatic stress associated with mass disasters by showing higher psychological distress immediately after the event.
