Impressive resilience seen among older Israelis amid war times despite dwindling resources - study

• Published date: 27 March 2024
• Author: JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

After the outbreak of the war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza, researchers at Bar-Ilan University (BIU) in Ramat Gan led by clinical psychologist Prof. Amit Shrira measured acute stress and PTSD symptoms among Israelis last November and December, shedding light on the impact of the conflict on mental health across generations

The study used the Qualtrics online platform (web-based software that enables the user to create surveys and general reports without having any previous programming expertise), social media, and additional approaches to reach diverse groups of participants.

A total of 428 responses were received. The results, just published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research under the title "Age differences in acute stress and PTSD symptoms during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war: Preliminary findings," revealed striking differences between young adults aged 20 and 59 and older adults aged 60 to 87.

Experts describe stress symptoms as a non-pathological transient reaction that is usually reduced within several days or weeks as the person adapts or as a disorder when acute symptoms last for several weeks up to one month.

PTSD incorporates several clusters of symptoms, including re-experiencing (flashbacks), avoidance (staying away from certain places), and heightened arousal, as well as additional symptoms like negative beliefs about oneself. In any case, PTSD symptoms result in substantial functional impairment.

During the first week of the conflict, young adults reported significantly higher levels of acute stress symptoms, with 24.8% suffering from distress. In the subsequent weeks, the prevalence of probable PTSD among this group soared to 42.8%. In contrast, older adults exhibited lower rates of acute stress (3.7%) during the first week, with 13.7% reporting probable PTSD in the following weeks.

"This study provides valuable insights into how different age groups respond to traumatic events," remarked Shrira from the gerontology program at BIU's social and health sciences department. "Despite the challenges posed by the war, older adults showed remarkable resilience compared to their younger counterparts."

Explanation of the findings

The research delved into two hypotheses to explain these variations – the vulnerability hypothesis, suggesting...