ISTSS 24th Annual Meeting
TERROR AND ITS AFTERMATH

November 13-15, 2008
Chicago, Illinois, USA

We are excited to invite you to the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies' 24th annual meeting to be held in Chicago, Illinois on November 13-15, 2008, with pre-meeting institutes held on November 12. The theme of our meeting will be "Terror and its Aftermath."

Terror connotes both a state of extreme fear and the fact that there is usually a perpetrator using violence to intimidate or oppress. In this meeting, we hope to explore the way people respond to terror in diverse settings, and to explore some of the interfaces between basic science, clinical practice and social policy. 

The theme will not restrict the conference to terrorism and terrorist violence. Terrifying experiences may also include (for example) sexual and physical abuse within families, the terrorisation of one local community by another, organised repressive violence and torture by states and national groups. We intend to interpret this theme broadly. 

In responding to terror, there are special roles for health, social care and education services, emergency services, the military and peace-keeping forces, the media, non-governmental organisations and pastoral care. These organisations are often involved in the delivery of solutions for others, but their members also have to find ways of coping with their own emotional reactions.

This meeting offers an opportunity to explore the many diverse ways in which children, adults of all ages, families, communities, responders and societies address different forms of terror. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the research methodologies we use to examine these issues.

ISTSS represents a focal point for trauma specialists and scientists, each bringing their own different perspective, to meet together in one forum. We want to encourage inter-disciplinary, scientific and practice, dialogue. Sessions which encourage conversations among presenters, especially those of differing backgrounds, and between presenters and participants will be very welcome. 

This year, we are particularly keen to include material from clinical practice as well as from the biological sciences, epidemiology, assessment techniques, clinical trials, social and community interventions, the media, advocacy and social policy. Proposals that promote the exchange of new knowledge or information will be given priority.

Almost all the content of the program derives from the submissions we receive. We would therefore like to encourage you to submit a proposal, especially if you feel the topic area does not appear to have been well-covered in previous meetings.  Following last year’s successful trial, once again this year, a submission can be made as an individual paper as well as in a range of other formats. 

New members, regular members and non-members, including students and other young professionals, we invite you to submit proposals and attend this meeting. 

ISTSS seeks to advance the integration of current scholarship and practice to mitigate adverse reactions to trauma. By providing a forum in which clinicians, policy makers and basic scientists can come together and share the results of their work, we hope to realize this aim. 

We look forward to your participation in the conference as both delegates and presenters.

Jane Herlihy, MPhil, DClinPsych, CPsychol
24th Annual Meeting Chair

Stuart Turner, MD, MA, FRCP, FRCPsych
ISTSS President

Last Updated: January 14, 2008