Inflamed by the Flames? The Impact of Terrorism and War on Immunity

Abstract

The physiological impact of citizens’ prolonged exposure to violence and conflict is a crucial, yet underexplored issue within the political science and biology literature. We examined the impact of high levels of exposure to rocket and terrorist attacks on biological markers of immunity and inflammation in a sample of Israelis. A stratified random sample of individuals were drawn from a pool of subjects in Israel who have previously been interviewed regarding their stress exposure and psychological distress during a period of active rocket and terrorist attacks. These individuals were re-interviewed and blood samples were collected to assess antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV antibodies) and C-reactive protein (CRP). We concluded that PTSD was significantly related to CRP, controlling for BMI, depression, and exposure to terrorism. Depression scores did not significantly predict CRP (or CMV antibodies levels). In contrast to the established convention that psychological distress is the sole outcome of terrorism exposure, these findings reveal that individuals exposed to terrorism are at dual risk for PTSD/depression, and inflammation. This study has important ramifications for how policy makers and medical health professionals formulate public health policies and medically treat individuals living in conflict zones.

Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations of Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Inflammatory and Endothelial Function Markers in Women

“…That said, it is notable that our unadjusted findings were maintained after adjusting for key covariates, including age, menopausal status, and use of various medications. Consistent with many studies(16,52,53), we also found that PTSD remained associated with elevated biomarker levels when adjusting for depression status.…”

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd): A Narrative Review

“…Several studies reported an association between PTSD and elevated CRP levels (Canetti et al 2014, Farr et al 2015, particularly with re-experiencing CVD and denying symptoms (Canetti et al 2014), and a correlation with CVD manifestations with overall PTSD severity (Farr et al 2015, Michopoulos et al 2015.…”

« Je suis Charlie » : New Findings on the Social and Political Psychology of Terrorism [« Je suis Charlie » : Nouvelles Avancées en Psychologie Sociale et Politique du Terrorisme]

“…Researchers in the human and social sciences can play a major role here because with better understanding comes greater well-being. Longterm exposure to political violence brings psychological distress and other health problems (Canetti, Russ, Luborsky, Gerhart & Hobfoll, 2014). However, research has shown that understanding the causes of terrorism reduces its negative psychological impact (Fisher, Postmes, Koeppl, Conway & Fredriksson, 2011).…”