The psychological impact of the Israel–Hezbollah War on Jews and Arabs in Israel: The impact of risk and resilience factors

Abstract

Although there is abundant evidence that mass traumas are associated with adverse mental health consequences, few studies have used nationally representative samples to examine the impact of war on civilians, and none have examined the impact of the Israel-Hezbollah War, which involved unprecedented levels of civilian trauma exposure from July 12-August 14, 2006. The aims of this study were to document probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), determined by the PTSD Symptom Scale and self-reported functional impairment, in Jewish and Arab residents of Israel immediately after the Israel-Hezbollah War and to assess potential risk and resilience factors. A telephone survey was conducted August 15-October 5, 2006, following the cessation of rocket attacks. Stratified random sampling methods yielded a nationally representative population sample of 1,200 adult Israeli residents. The rate of probable PTSD was 7.2%. Higher risk of probable PTSD was associated with being a woman, recent trauma exposure, economic loss, and higher psychosocial resource loss. Lower risk of probable PTSD was associated with higher education. The results suggest that economic and psychosocial resource loss, in addition to trauma exposure, have an impact on post-trauma functioning. Thus, interventions that bolster these resources might prove effective in alleviating civilian psychopathology during war. KeywordsIsrael; war; trauma; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); risk factors; resilience factors; IsraeliHezbollah war; mental health Correspondence to: Patrick A. Palmieri, palmierp@summa-health.org. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. , 2006). Work and social life were severely disrupted as only evacuation or shelters were safe. Perhaps most disconcerting to Israelis, the Israel Defense Forces, who are often seen as nearly infallible, were unable to cause a cessation of the attacks, or even limit their frequency. This has been interpreted by many Israelis as a critical weakness in the defensive shield upon which they depend for their very survival (Feldman, 2006). NIH Public AccessFew studies have examined the impact of war on civilian populations, and to our knowledge no study examined a nationally representative sample of a country that had actually been under active attack. Rates of depression were found to be elevated in Lebanese communities that sustained a high degree of exposure to the Lebanon Wars, even after controlling for pre-war depression (Karam, Howard, Karam, Ashkar, Shaaya, Melhem, et al., 1998). Rates of PTSD and general psychiatric morbidity among reside...

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