"We Are Young, We Run Free": Predicting Factors of Life Satisfaction among Young Backpackers.

Although research from a positive psychology perspective is conducted among different populations, few studies have examined the predictors of life satisfaction among young backpackers. The current study focused on young adults (ages 21-30), an age group for whom backpacking treks are a growing phenomenon, during their treks in the Far East and South America. Direct and indirect models were used to identify personal factors and environmental resources contributing to life satisfaction.

Emerging adulthood among backpackers: The contribution of internal and external factors to sense of community.

During emerging adulthood, individuals are primarily concerned with themselves. Community participation, however, may help one to mature, and community belonging is important for well-being. As such, the current study aimed to examine these two components among young-adult Israeli backpackers abroad.

Predictors of High-School Dropout Among Ultraorthodox Jewish Youth.

Focusing on the unique social characteristics of closed communities, the current study examined the predictors of high-school dropout among Ultraorthodox Jewish youth, focusing on background variables [i.e., individual's age, family's religious group affiliation, and other high-school dropout(s) in family]; social resources (i.

Predicting changes in PTSD and depression among female intimate partner violence survivors during shelter residency: A longitudinal study.

Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are comorbid consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV), and models explain this comorbidity via an intrinsic relationship between them. The current study posits that changes in both disorders may provide a clearer picture regarding the interrelations between them. We examined mutual contributions of changes in PTSD and depression to each other.

The contribution of school experience to students' resilience following a terror-related homicide.

Schools have a significant effect on students' development, and serve as important social agencies for interventions for students facing disasters. However, little is known about the effect of students' school experience itself on their resilience when facing extreme negative events. The present study focused on students who were exposed to terror-related homicide with the aim of investigating the contribution of school climate resources to their resilience.

Predicting Depression Among Jewish and Arab Israeli Women Who Are Victims of Intimate Partner Violence.

This study examined whether there were differences in levels of depression between Arab and Jewish Israeli female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and how various personal and environmental variables contributed to depression. A total of 303 women were selected. tests were conducted, and no significant differences were revealed.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Upon Admission to Shelters Among Female Victims of Domestic Violence: An Ecological Model of Trauma.

The study used the ecological model of trauma and recovery (Harvey, 1996) to examine the rates of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among female victims of domestic violence. Five hundred and five participants completed questionnaires upon entering shelters in Israel. Analysis showed that 61% of the participants reported probable PTSD.

The Interrelations of Physical and Mental Health: Self-Rated Health, Depression, and PTSD Among Female IPV Survivors.

Researchers have found that intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with low self-rated health (SRH), which is correlated with increased medication usage, and has tremendous social consequences. IPV and low SRH are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and the current study examined the interrelations between these variables among 505 Israeli women in shelters. To assess mediation, three regressions were designed.

Domestic Violence in Arab Society: A Comparison of Arab and Jewish Women in Shelters in Israel.

The aim of the current study was to address a gap in the literature by determining prevalence, specific types of violence, and risk factors of intimate partner violence (IPV) among Israeli born Arab women compared with Israeli born Jewish women. The following measures were compared: demographic and socioeconomic measures; measures relating to the characteristics of the violence, that is, the three types of violence (physical, emotional, and verbally threatening), sense of danger, and history of violence in childhood; family support levels; and perpetrator characteristics. The sample consisted of 154 Israeli born Arab women and 149 Israeli born Jewish women who were staying in shelters for victims of domestic violence in Israel.

The contribution of parental and societal conditional regard to adjustment of high school dropouts.

This study examined the contribution of parental conditional regard (PCR) and societal conditional regard (SCR) - divided into positive and negative regard - to high school dropouts' adjustment (i.e., well-being, loneliness, and future orientation) along the different stages of the dropout process.

Internal and community recourses' contribution to level of posttraumatic symptoms-The case of tourists after the earthquake in Nepal, 2015.

Objective: The current study focused on tourists who were caught in the middle of Nepal's, 2015 earthquake, and survived. We examined the contribution of internal (coping flexibility and emotional regulation) and community resources (sense of belonging to the community) to tourist's level of post traumatic stress disorder symptoms.

Method: A cross-sectional sample survey was conducted to collect data from 145 tourists between 2 week to 3 months after the earthquake.

International Tourists' Reactions to a Natural Disaster: Experiences of the 2015 Earthquake in Nepal Among Israeli Travelers.

There is a scarcity of research exploring the experiences of foreign travelers exposed to natural disasters while abroad. This qualitative study explored the experiences of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal among international travelers immediately following the earthquake. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 Israeli backpackers who were traveling in Nepal at the time of the earthquake.

Personal and Environmental Predictors of Depression Among Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: Comparison of Immigrant and Israeli-Born Women.

In the present study, ecological theory was used as a basis for predicting depression among women who survive intimate partner violence (IPV). The predictors examined in the study derived from three ecological systems: the microsystem (background variables and frequency of the violence), the ontogenic system (personal resources), and the mesosystem (support resources). One hundred twenty-five women who immigrated from the Former Soviet Union and 149 Israeli-born Jewish women filled in questionnaires when they entered shelters for victims of IPV.

Child protection workers dealing with child abuse: The contribution of personal, social and organizational resources to secondary traumatization.

The present study compared secondary traumatization among child protection social workers versus social workers employed at social service departments. In addition, based on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the study examined the contribution of working in the field of child protection as well as the contribution of background variables, personal resources (mastery), and resources in the workers' social and organizational environment (social support, effectiveness of supervision, and role stress) to secondary traumatization. The findings indicate that levels of mastery and years of work experience contributed negatively to secondary traumatization, whereas exposure to child maltreatment, trauma history, and role stress contributed positively to secondary traumatization.

Therapists Working With Trauma Victims: The Contribution of Personal, Environmental, and Professional-Organizational Resources to Secondary Traumatization.

This study examined the contribution of personal variables and resources (age, mastery, tolerance for ambiguity, and stressors), environmental resources (support from family and friends, colleague support), and professional-organizational resources (size of caseload with trauma victims, organizational commitment) to secondary traumatization. The sample consisted of 217 social workers employed at social service departments in Israel who worked with families in situations of distress and crisis and with adolescent girls at risk. The findings indicated that tolerance for ambiguity contributed most significantly to explaining the variance in secondary traumatization, followed by stressors.

"It's a horrible sin. If they find out, I will not be able to stay": Orthodox Jewish gay men's experiences living in secrecy.

This qualitative study examined the intersection of sexual orientation and religion in the Jewish Orthodox community by exploring 22 Orthodox Jewish gay men's experiences living in secrecy. Analysis of in-depth interviews conducted with these men revealed four primary themes: emotional turmoil, ways of coping, impact on family relationships, and importance of the context. Findings from this study describe the daily struggles these men experienced keeping their homosexuality a secret.

In the front line: the impact of specialist training for hospital physicians in children at risk on their collaboration with social workers.

Until recently, dealing with children at risk in Israeli hospitals was almost exclusively the domain of medical social workers. Suspected cases of abuse or neglect must be identified in real-time, during the child's short stay in the hospital, and the decision of whether or not to report the case, and to whom (law enforcement or welfare authorities), must be made. The recognition that effective treatment also demands the involvement of physicians led to the development of an intensive training program for hospital-pediatricians.

The contribution of internal resources, external resources, and emotional distress to use of drugs and alcohol among Israeli Jewish urban adolescents.

The contribution of selected background variables (age, gender), internal resources (mastery, emotional maturity), external resources (parental and peer support), and emotional distress to alcohol and drug use among 160 Israeli Jewish urban high school students were examined. Analyzing the variables with hierarchical regression, emotional distress contributed most significantly to both alcohol and drug use, and the contribution of age was somewhat less significant for both of them. Emotional distress also contributed indirectly to drug use through an interaction with one's sense of mastery.

Helping victims of terrorism: what makes social work effective?

This study examined factors that contribute to effectiveness of social work for victims of terrorism, as reflected by a reduction of mental distress and promotion of personal growth in clients. Participants were 148 pairs of social workers and clients. Social workers completed questionnaires that assessed the intervention characteristics (micro- and macro-intervention effectiveness, supervision effectiveness, and level of directiveness in treatment), as well as personal resources (empowerment and exposure to terrorism).

The role of the social worker in the face of terrorism: Israeli community-based experience.

Terrorism and its aftermath have become part of the Western way of life, and social workers have a central role to play in helping affected families and their communities. Drawing on community-based experience in Israeli communities, the authors examine the planning of multidisciplinary teams and how their planning was put into effect in their communities in several terrorist attacks. The authors use reports of social workers, community volunteers, and clients to map the phases of the activity, the roles and goals of the social workers with different focal systems during the phase stages, and the tasks that the social workers carried out.

The social marketing approach: a way to increase reporting and treatment of sexual assault.

Objective: Too often communities remain silent in response to cases of sexual assault of children. Members of the community are afraid to report such incidents and victims are reluctant to seek and accept treatment. The purpose of the paper is to examine whether application of a social marketing approach may serve as an effective means for motivating communities to report and victims to seek professional treatment.

Empowerment, skills, and values: a comparative study of nurses and social workers.

This article focuses on social workers and nurses who complement each other's work in providing health care services to their patients. The professional literature suggests that understanding the professional differences between social workers and nurses may lead to more collaboration between these groups. This study empirically compares empowerment, skills, and values of social workers (n = 213) and nurses (n = 152).

Hope as a strategy in supervising social workers of terminally ill patients.

This article focuses on supervision of social workers who feel despair and hopelessness in treating terminally ill patients. The emotional difficulties that may lead to these feelings are discussed. A special model of supervision that relates to hope as a strategy to help social workers cope with such difficulties is presented.

Showing results in community organization.

This article describes a community organization program and its tangible results in a stigmatized neighborhood in the center of Israel. The program lasted six years; its central goal was the autonomy of the community, the empowerment of its residents, and collaboration among the human services workers and between them and the resident leaders. The results, measured objectively and quantitatively, included a large increase in the number of community activists; strong and statistically significant increases of self-esteem and mastery of surroundings; increase in family, service delivery, and community empowerment among the activists, and the participation of residents and outsiders in a project to build their own homes in the neighborhood.