PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO TERRORIST ATTACKS IN BALUCHISTAN YOUTH

Abstract

The principal goal of this article was to address a crucial area where inadequate attention and analysis have been evidenced. Pakistan is ranked as the 5th most country heavily impacted by terrorism (Global Terrorism Index 2019). A lot of work is in progress in Pakistan with regard to the psychology of the terrorist mind and the role of the state in response to counter terrorism. However insufficient consideration has been evidenced on the reporting of the verbalism of victims of terrorist attacks. This paper addresses this important aspect by exploring the psychological reactions in the verbalism of the youth victims in the aftermath of terrorist attack in Baluchistan. The Summative Content analysis of the open-ended Survey questions identified three major psychological reactions: trauma & PostTraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, Depressive Symptoms, and Experiences of Anxiety and Fear. This paper concludes with highlighting the significance of devising specialized interventional plan for youth victims to provide the required psychological interventions to overcome the negative impact of these attacks