Posttraumatic stress disorder among three-generation families in times of war: A comparison between Israeli Jewish and Arabs after the Second Lebanon War (2006) and Cast Lead Operation (2009).

Abstract

There is little mention in the existing literature regarding the differential effects of wars or military operations on 3-generation families. Participants (n ϭ 509; 167 elderly parents, 171 adult offspring, and 171 adult grandchildren) living in the northern and southern regions of Israel were interview after the Second Lebanon War ( 2006) and the Cast Lead Operation ( 2009). The participants were sampled by using a cluster sampling. Elderly parents experience higher levels of PTSD symptoms than their adult children or their adult grandchildren do. Women experience higher levels of PTSD symptoms than men and Israeli Arabs and Druze higher levels than Israeli Jews in all 3 generations. A policy should be enacted among the local authorities and the governmental offices that would ensure accessibility to and the ability to provide proper care especially for the elderly population during times of war, military operations, or terror events. In addition, it is important to set up local teams in every local community to deal with the level of mental and emotional preparedness of the homefront and its inhabitants, in case the latter should again become part of the human casualties of the wars and terrorist events that occur in Israel.

The relationships between on-going terror attacks, military operations and wars and the well-being of Jewish and Arab three generations civilians in Israel

“…At the last decade, the Arabs residing in Israel would openly demonstrate their support for the attackers as well as their delight at seeing Israel attacked; however, ever since the frontline has receded into civilian residential areas, they too have experienced the danger, fears and helplessness associated with times of war. As a result, their reactions have become similar to those of the Jewish population (Ron 2014). Indeed, not all of the Arabs living in Israel refer themselves as the Israeli Arabs.…”

“…Protective Edge Operation (2014) took place aft er a kidnapping of three Israeli high school students at the Israeli Southern border with the "Hamas" and the Palestinian authority. By defi nition, the conditions associated with ongoing missile attacks, military operations and wars entail certain eff ects on the targeted population (Ron 2014). Despite the fact that the majority of the civilian population suff ered neither casualties nor loss of poverty or assets, in almost all of Israel's Northern and Southern communities civilians lives were in real danger and, in fact the entire population in those areas experienced the meaning and the impression of war.…”

Social, family and trauma risk factors for common disorders in Israeli youth

“…A high rate of personal trauma in the young people were expected given the family difficulties relevant to social service involvement and a high rate of political violence trauma. The study areas experienced two conflicts -Cast Lead Operation in November and December 2008 and the 2006 bombing of Northern Israel (Ron 2014;Palmieri et al 2008).…”

“…There is substantial research into the high prevalence of trauma from political events in Israel and Palestine/Gaza. In just over a decade there were two major military offences -the Israel Hezbollah war in Northern Israel in the summer of 2006 and Cast Lead Operation in the winter of 2008 (Klodnick et al 2014;Ron 2014). Despite the volatile context, the incidence of Post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents is low e.g 3% (Dyregrov and Yule 2006;Ruth Pat-4 Horenczyk et al 2009).…”

“…Pat-Horenczyk et al 2009). (Yablon, Itzhaky, & Pagorek-Eshel, 2011) despite the Israeli Arab population experiencing greater political, economic and social challenges (Al-Krenawi, Graham, and Kanat-Maymon 2009;Ron 2014).…”