Bridge collapse raises fears and phobias.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

The bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minn., last month has raised fears about personal safety in most of us, especially those who have suffered past traumas or from personal safety phobias, according to a University at Buffalo (N.Y.) specialist on post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the factor that particularly affects people in such tragedies is how closely they resemble the victims in terms of age, marital status, and family make-up.

"Certainly, for people with bridge phobia, this will activate them like crazy and make them worse," explains Nancy J. Smyth, dean of the School of Social Work. "A lot of how people react depends on how closely they identify with the people who were hurt or killed. If there is someone your age or who...