ATLANTA -- Most people living near New York City suffered extreme stress after Sept. 11, but few sought help, according to a government report examining the psychological effects of the attacks.

The study of 3,512 people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut found that 75 percent reported having emotional problems after Sept. 11, but only 12 percent asked for help, even from friends and family.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that more needs to be done to address psychological effects of disasters, and they called on government agencies to add emotional care to the usual plans for responding to disasters.

About half of the respondents reported attending religious or community memorial services after the attacks.

Nearly half said they felt anger after the attacks, and some reported increased smoking and drinking after Sept. 11, other indicators of emotional distress.

The study also examined ways in which men and women responded to the stress differently. Women were more likely than men to smoke more as a result of the attacks, 27 percent compared to 15 percent. Men were more likely to drink more alcohol, 4 percent compared to 2 percent.

Dr. Wayne Giles, a CDC chronic disease expert, said he was most disturbed by the finding that 1.4 percent of respondents said they started smoking after Sept. 11.

"One of the things that we don't want to occur is people adopting adverse health behaviors after these events," he said.

The telephone survey was conducted between Oct. 11 and Dec. 13 of last year. Respondents were 1,774 Connecticut residents, 638 New Jersey residents and 1,100 people living in New York.

Giles said researchers were surprised at high stress levels by people who didn't live or work close to the World Trade Center. Disaster counseling services are traditionally offered only where the disaster took place, and the study suggests those services should be broadened in major disasters, Giles said.

"One of the things this study shows is the number of people affected was broader than people actually at Ground Zero or Manhattan," he said.

A separate study released Thursday by the CDC examined whether Manhattan residents with asthma saw their condition worsen after the attacks. About a quarter, 34 of the 134 respondents, said it did get worse.

People on the southern end of Manhattan, near the World Trade Center, were more likely to report their asthma got worse after Sept. 11 than those who lived farther north.

The survey noted that symptoms typically worsen in the fall, so that the study can't gauge the "absolute impact" of the attacks.

The telephone interview of people older than 18 living south of 110th Street in Manhattan was conducted between Oct. 16 and Nov. 15.