1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
"The Women Who Walked Away," by Jennifer Wolff Perrine.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
SELF Magazine, December 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Synopsis Half of all Americans, at some point in their lives, will experience a life-altering trauma — a debilitating injury, a tragic loss, a brush with death. We tend to categorize such experiences as "destroying" lives, and most of us are familiar with the idea of PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder. Indeed, research shows that people who experience life-altering traumas actually lose brain matter as a result of their experiences. But how one addresses a tragedy can make an enormous difference in how one recovers. Researchers now describe the aftermath of such events as "post-traumatic growth," and say that the majority of people who live through such traumas actually report that their lives become richer and more meaningful. But understanding the consequences of a traumatic experience, and coming to grips with it, is key to recovery and growth. Major Findings " The most common form of life-altering incidents, traffic accidents, actually injures more women than men every year. Indeed, a primary risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder is being a woman, possibly because elevated hormone levels in females make them more vulnerable to the effects of PTSD. " Research conducted on people after 9/11 found that those who were close to the event but were not directly affected by it showed reduced brain matter, compared to those who were hundreds of miles away. " Two-thirds of people who live through a traumatic event report that their lives are actually improved by the experience.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Documents Flight transcript from AA 1420 before it crashed Numerous studies of impact of trauma on the brain, and some breakthrough studies on how even indirect trauma can change the brain's chemistry. Numerous studies on PTSD and Post Traumatic Growth Posting on various message boards seeking near-death accident victims to come forward with their stories Data from National Safety Council on various kinds of accidents.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
Near death accident victims recruited through various psychologists and Internet message board queries Psychologists who specialize in near death accident trauma, and also those who specialize in posttraumatic growth Research scientists who have studied the impact of accident trauma on brain chemistry.
6. Results (if any).
It's hard to measure results for a story that targets a psychological phenomenon. However letters to the editor and comments on SELF.com, including many from people who have been in near-death accidents, have been universally positive.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections, clarifications or challenges to accuracy.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Proceed slowly and gently with accident survivors. They are reliving their trauma for the sake of the article, and while many are happy to do so, it can still be difficult for them. As well, form a relationship with the survivors so that you can go back to them again and again. When reviewing the interviews I noticed holes in their stories that may have been the result of not wanting to journey back to a particular aspect of the trauma, or simply forgetting it because it was so painful or, in some cases, because there was some brain injury. Also be sure to gain an understanding of their mental state before the accident, as well as their social structure. And be absolutely non-judgmental if you draw the objective but accurate conclusion that some of their issues might have stemmed from previous events/traumas rather than the accident upon which you are focusing. Such was the case with Julia Ferganchick, who was in the middle of a marital break-up at the time of her accident, and was taking anti-depressants before it occurred. I got this information well after our first interview, because it was something that was difficult for her to admit. But it was essential to the story — and the path of her healing — that I included that information. Also, be respectful that everyone has a different timeline for healing. Heather Reidt was very non-emotional and matter of fact during our first interviews. But then she had another accident and her father died in a car crash; these events served to uncover the true trauma of her first accident, which she didn't experience until the other ones happened.