Psychological and Behavioral Issues Healthcare Providers Need to Know when Treating Patients Following a Radiation Event

An attack using radiation will create uncertainty, fear, and terror. Following the detonation of a Radiation Dispersal Device (RDD) the management of acute psychological and behavioral responses will be as important as the treatment of RDD-related injuries and illnesses.
Radiation is a dreaded threat, usually seen as catastrophic and fatal. Radiation is invisible, odorless and unknown. These ingredients stimulate worst-case fantasies. People must rely on health care providers and scientists to determine whether or not a person has been contaminated.