AI Article Synopsis
- The study investigated how exposure to war affects feelings of demoralization and later symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTSS) among Israeli citizens.
- Higher levels of war exposure were linked to increased demoralization symptoms and PTSS six months later, with significant effects seen at medium to high levels of demoralization.
- The findings suggest that addressing demoralization early on could help identify individuals at risk for developing PTSD, making it important for mental health screenings during and after wartime.
Article Abstract
Background: During wartime, many people experience distress, uncertainty, helplessness and a lack of control. These negative feelings are at the root of demoralization symptoms.
Objectives: The present prospective study examined the impact of exposure to war and demoralization symptoms on PTSS 6 months later.
Methods: Participants were 338 Israeli citizens with indirect war exposure. Participants answered questionnaires on exposure to war, demoralization and PTSS at two time points (4 weeks and 6 months after the onset of the October 7 war).
Results: The study revealed that higher exposure to war (Time 1) was associated with higher levels of demoralization symptoms (Time 1) and PTSS (Time 2). Moreover, the moderation analysis indicated that the impact of exposure to war on PTSS was significant only for medium (b = 4.279, SE = 1.33, p < 0.001) and high (b = 8.304, SE = 1.88, p < 0.001) levels of demoralization.
Conclusion: Demoralization symptoms and PTSS are likely to occur during wartime. However, war exposure alone does not explain PTSS; it is contingent on demoralization levels. Demoralization shortly following the outbreak of war appears to be a predictor of PTSS. This finding suggests that screening for demoralization with a brief simple questionnaire might be a useful clinical tool to identify individuals in the short term who may have increased risk of PTSD in the long term.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11612540 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cpp.70021 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Exposure to warfare and demoralization: acute stress symptoms and disengaged coping as a mediators.
Eur J Psychotraumatol
December 2025
School of Social Work, Haifa, Israel.
Demoralization in the face of adversity is a common existential state. However, it has not been examined in reaction to warfare, and the mediators between the extent of exposure to war and demoralization in this context are also unknown. This study explored the associations of indirect exposure to war, acute stress symptoms, disengaged coping, and demoralization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mass disasters, whether natural or human-made, pose significant public health challenges, with some individuals demonstrating resilience, whereas others experience persistent emotional distress that may meet diagnostic criteria for mental health disorders. We explored key risk factors for distress following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, focusing on trauma exposure, gender, and event centrality.
Method: A longitudinal study design was used, assessing posttraumatic distress (PTSD), depression, generalized anxiety, event centrality, and functioning at approximately three (T1; n=858) and seven (T2, n=509) months post-attack.
Comparative lipid profiling reveals the differential response of distinct lipid subclasses in blast and blunt-induced mild traumatic brain injury.
Exp Neurol
January 2025
Traumatic Brain Injury & Metabolomics Department, DRDO, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), S. K Mazumdar Road, Timarpur, New Delhi 110054, India. Electronic address:
Head trauma from blast exposure is a growing health concern, particularly among active military personnel, and is considered the signature injury of the Gulf War. However, it remains elusive whether fundamental differences exist between blast-related Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and TBI due to other mechanisms. Considering the importance of lipid metabolism associated with neuronal membrane integrity and its compromise during TBI, we sought to find changes in lipidomic profiling during blast or blunt (Stereotaxically Controlled Contusison-SCC)-mediated TBI.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrauma echoes: factors associated with peritraumatic distress and anxiety five days following Iranian missile attack on Israel.
Eur J Psychotraumatol
December 2025
Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
On 13-14 April 2024, Iran launched ∼300 drones and missiles at Israel, in an unprecedented attack. As most studies examine the effects of trauma months or years later, less is known about its effects days later. To fill this gap, this study gauged the population response, five days after the attack.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Spoilers of Virtual War: Experience and Performance Mediate the Relationship Between Violent Video Games and Hostility.
Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw
January 2025
Persuasive Information Systems, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
A substantial portion of the literature investigating whether playing video games with violent content causes aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors has relied on experimental exposure to video game violence. To date, there is significant evidence suggesting these concepts are positively related, while other experiments demonstrate a null effect. A potential explanation for these contradicting findings is a failure to account for confounding such as video game performance and video game experience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!