By participating in 9/11-related health research, you can help scientists better understand the health effects of the WTC disaster. These studies also can help minimize the health impact of future disasters.
The studies listed below are provided as a public service. A listing does not mean the Health Department endorses the study. All studies meet certain requirements, including approval by an institutional review board.
Studies for Adults
- Through the 9/11 Mothers and Young Children Project, the New York State Psychiatric Institute offers mental health treatment and support groups to families in which a) the mother was pregnant and widowed on September 11, 2001, b) the mother was widowed on September 11, 2001 after having given birth in the prior year, or c) the family lived near Ground Zero and was traumatized although no parent was lost. As part of this treatment program, doctors are studying mother-child behaviors following loss related to anxiety, depression, and difficult mourning.
For more information, call (212) 675-1918.
- Doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Medical College of Cornell University are studying psychological/brain responses to the WTC disaster. Those who escaped from the disaster site or took part in the initial rescue effort may be eligible to participate.
For more information, call (212) 746-3782.
- The University of Greenwich in the United Kingdom, which recently completed its WTC Evacuation Study/High-rise Evacuation and Evaluation Database, is exploring the use of elevators for evacuation of high-rise buildings. Researchers are examining the choices people make in deciding to use an elevator or stairs as part of their evacuation route. You can help with this research, if you live or work in a high rise building, by completing an on-line questionnaire here.
- Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute are providing grief treatment for people who lost a family member or close friend in 9/11. Free treatment is available to eligible participants between 18 and 70 years of age.
For more information, call (212) 543-6747.
Studies for Children
- Columbia University researchers are seeking to identify the mental health needs of children of first responders (police, firefighters or EMTs) and WTC evacuees. These children may have been indirectly exposed to trauma through their parents’ work-related or WTC experiences. First responders and WTC evacuees with a child between nine and 15 years of age may be eligible to participate.
For more information, email Dr. Christina Hoven at ch42@columbia.edu or call (212) 543-5688 or (800) 774-8448.
Other Studies
- The New York State Department of Health, in cooperation with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is collecting data on all deaths that occur after 9/11 among WTC responders (those who worked at the WTC site, on the barges or in morgues between September 11, 2001 and June 30, 2002). Findings will help gauge 9/11-related health problems and identify and help address gaps in medical treatment for emergency responders.
For more information, or to report a death, call (518) 402-7900 or email khg01@health.state.ny.us.
