Management of the psychological consequences of terrorism will require a range of interventions at multiple levels involving a variety of service providers. Interventions are needed for the pre-event, event, and post-event phases of a terrorist attack and will have to address affected individuals and populations, the broader social environment, and the terrorists who seek to harm.

Terrorism involves the illegal or threatened use of violence, is intended to coerce societies or governments by including fear in their populations, and typically involves ideological and political motives. The attacks on September 11, 2001, have made Americans acutely aware of the devastation of terrorism, As the nation engages in the war on terrorism, the psychological health of the public must not be neglected.