Search

This study examined differences between Arab and Jewish undergraduate students in their perceived academic challenges, COVID-19-related concerns, perceived social support and trust in the university and the government. It also examined factors associated with perceived academic challenges and the moderating role of trust in the university in the associations between COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges. The sample consisted of 2751 students: 2291 (83%) Jewish, 398 (15%) Arab and 61 (2%) 'other'. Arab students reported higher COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges, and lower levels of perceived social support and trust in university and government than did Jewish students. Both Jewish and Arab students identified COVID-19-related concerns as a stress-vulnerability factor for perceived academic challenges, whereas perceived social support and trust in the university were identified as resources for perceived academic challenges. No support was found for the role of trust in government in the face of perceived academic challenges nor for the moderating role of trust in the university in the associations between COVID-19-related concerns and perceived academic challenges. In conclusion, the need of Arab students for emotional and academic support needs to be acknowledged as part of the efforts to promote academic success during the pandemic.

This study focused on the specific challenges of university students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and examined similarities and differences in COVID-related concerns and difficulties in functioning in samples of undergraduate students in five countries. A sample of 4306 undergraduate university students (43.8% males, 56.2% females) from Israel, Kosovo, Ukraine, Cyprus and Germany participated in an anonymous online survey during the first wave of the pandemic, between March and June 2020. Study variables included the assessment of the exposure to COVID-19, perceived health status, specific COVID-related concerns and functional difficulties, social support, and the perceived level of coping. Similar concerns about the uncertainty regarding the termination of the health crisis and worry for the health of family members were identified as the most common concerns in the five countries. Challenges in online learning and financial difficulties were rated as the most central difficulties. Both COVID-related concerns and COVID-related difficulties predicted lower levels of perceived coping. Greater social support was associated with better perceived coping. Policymakers should be informed by the accumulating research showing the substantive relationships between academic difficulties and perceived COVID-related distress and coping.

Two years have passed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire world is still struggling with the virus and its mutations, and governments have been imposing various restrictions, including social distancing and quarantine. This paper leans on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theoretical model in comparing the impact of COVID-19 with that of an ongoing threat of terror attacks, allowing us to understand the similarities and differences between them. Such exploration could result in an understanding that may guide devising psycho-social interventions to minimize the negative psychological consequences of a continuous life-threatening situation. By applying the extensive available literature on the aftermath of terrorist attacks to the little-known long-run consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper comes up with several guidelines such as increasing online social support and enhancing adaptive coping with stress, that are applicable on the individual, community, and societal levels.

This study sought to investigate a positive dimension of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, that of post-traumatic growth (PTG). This study investigated coping difficulties and PTG amongst parent and nonparent students in Israeli Universities. A total of 4022 parents (3648 Jews and 374 Palestinian-Arab Citizens [PACs]) and 14,651 nonparents (12,010 Jews and 2641 PACs) completed measures of coping, social support and PTG. Parents demonstrated significantly higher levels of coping and PTG. Amongst parents, fathers coped slightly better than mothers; however, while Jewish mothers demonstrated greater PTG than Jewish fathers, PAC fathers had significantly greater PTG than both PAC mothers and Jewish parents. These findings, while specific to COVID-19, indicate that PTG should be studied in greater depth in different ethnic and minority groups in order to develop enhanced understanding and facilitate promotion of post-traumatic growth, in addition to the prevention of COVID-19-related distress.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a range of negative responses, including emotional distress, as well as with positive changes, such as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Among the vulnerability factors the literature lists SES and being part of a minority group. The aim of this study is to identify patterns of responses among the ultra-Orthodox Jewish society in Israel, in terms of both emotional distress (anxiety and depression) and multiple dimensions of PTG.The data were collected during the second wave of COVID-19 in Israel, between May and November 2020. The sample included 369 participants, all belonging to the ultra-Orthodox society. Latent class analysis was used to establish heterogeneous classes of participants displaying similar response patterns, using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 index (JAD-7), and the 10-item version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-10). Multinomial regression examined which of the predictors best distinguished between the classes.Three classes were identified, termed here Resilience, Growth, and Distress. As differential predictors of class membership, the study identified age; gender; self-rated health; and COVID-19-related potential negative experiences: economic decline, concerns, and microaggression. The Resilience and Growth patterns were the most prominent. A small number of participants formed a class characterized by high levels of distress.The findings contribute to understanding the psychological response patterns of a minority group to COVID-19. The characteristics of the three classes highlight the important role of potentially negative experiences related to COVID-19 in the response patterns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The aims of the study were to examine intergenerational effects of two cultural contexts of massive genocide: the Holodomor 1932-1933 in Ukraine, and the Holocaust 1939-1944 on the second and third generations of women in Ukraine and Israel. Forty women participants were recruited for four focus groups, two in each country, comprised of 10 participants each, using a snowball method in both countries. The second-generation groups were named as “the mothers’ group”, and the third-generation group (comprised of daughters of the mothers’ groups) were named as “the daughters’ group”. Inclusion criteria for sampling were: (a) being female above 18 years old, and (b) having family experience of the Famine 1932-1933 / Holocaust during 1939-1944. The groups were moderated by two experienced psychologists in each of the countries. The participants were presented with seven semi-structured questions and were asked to share their family narratives and experiences of the genocide. The study applied inductive thematic analyses that progressed from description to interpretation, for key themes that emerged during the groups’ sessions. The results of the study showed the centrality of five emerging themes in both mothers’ and daughters’ narratives, including: “emotions and feelings of experiencing genocide, “attitudes toward food and starvation”, “sense of losses and death”, “transgenerational transmission of trauma in family narratives”, and “ethnic identity”. The cross-cultural perspective of the current research shed light on the similarities and differences between the traumatic narratives constructed by the offspring of the second and the third generations in the two contexts of Ukraine and Israel. The Ukrainian women attributed greater importance of commemoration of Holodomor victims as part of an effective coping strategy with trauma, while the Israeli women put more emphasis on the attitude of asceticism that was inherited from the Holocaust survivors. The cross-cultural clinical and educational implications are discussed.

OBJECTIVE The main objective of this prospective multicenter study was to examine whether illness representations of control, affect, and coping behaviors mediate the effects of self-efficacy to cope with cancer on psychological symptoms and overall quality of life, in breast cancer patients. METHOD Data from 413 women (Mean age = 54.87; SD = 8.01), coming from four countries (i.e., Finland, Israel, Italy, Portugal), who received medical therapy for their early breast cancer, were analyzed. Coping self-efficacy was assessed at baseline. Potential mediators were assessed three months later, and outcomes after six months. RESULTS Coping self-efficacy was related to all mediators and outcomes. Illness representations of treatment control, positive and negative affect, and certain coping behaviors (mostly, anxiety preoccupation) mediated the effects of coping self-efficacy. Coping self-efficacy was related to each outcome through a different combination of mediators. CONCLUSIONS Coping self-efficacy is a major self-regulation factor which is linked to well-being through multiple cognitive, emotional, and behavioral pathways. Enhancement of coping self-efficacy should be a central intervention goal for patients with breast cancer, towards promotion of their well-being.

The current study aimed to track the trajectory of quality of life (QoL) among subgroups of women with breast cancer in the first 12 months post-diagnosis. We also aimed to assess the number and portion of women classified into each distinct trajectory and the sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with these trajectories. The international sample included 699 participants who were recruited soon after being diagnosed with breast cancer as part of the BOUNCE Project. QoL was assessed at baseline and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, and we used Latent Class Growth Analysis to identify trajectory subgroups. Sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors at baseline were used to predict latent class membership. Four distinct QoL trajectories were identified in the first 12 months after a breast cancer diagnosis: medium and stable (26% of participants); medium and improving (47%); high and improving (18%); and low and stable (9%). Thus, most women experienced improvements in QoL during the first year post-diagnosis. However, approximately one-third of women experienced consistently low-to-medium QoL. Cancer stage was the only variable which was related to the QoL trajectory in the multivariate analysis. Early interventions which specifically target women who are at risk of ongoing low QoL are needed.

This study tested the role of perceived social support as a moderating factor in the mediation of COVID-19-related concerns in the association between continuous traumatic stress (CTS) and depression. The study participants were 499 college students who responded to an anonymous online questionnaire. Measures included the assessment of prior continuous exposure to threats of terrorism, COVID-19-related distress, perceived social support and depressive symptoms. The results demonstrated that COVID-19-related concerns mediated the relationship between continuous exposure to threats of terrorism and depression symptoms, and that perceived social support moderated the association between COVID-19-related concerns and depression. The implications of the study highlight the role of prior exposure to traumatic stress as a risk factor for depression and the role of social support as a protective factor. These results point to the need to develop accessible and non-stigmatic mental health services for populations exposed to other types of continuous traumatic stress.

The Peace of Mind (POM) program was designed to enable combat veterans in Israel to process their combat experience, address difficulties in the transition to civilian life and facilitate psychological growth as a result of their military experience. During the course of the program, 1068 participants were studied at four time points. Post-traumatic symptoms were measured using the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), and post-traumatic growth (PTG) was measured using the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Multilevel Modeling (MLM) was used to assess symptom and psychological trajectories for all participants and for those who began with and without PTSD symptoms, respectively. The results demonstrated that those who began the program with elevated PTSD symptoms experienced a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms following the completion of the intensive element of the program. Additionally, all participants demonstrated an increase in PTG following the intensive section of the program and this was maintained throughout follow-up. The findings indicate that the POM program is beneficial in relation to both positive and negative outcomes of traumatic military experiences though it is clear that the transition from combat to civilian life is more complex than the current measures identify and that further research needs to examine the distinct lifestyle and functional changes which occur following the program.

Breast cancer diagnosis has been associated with poor mental health, with significant impairment of quality of life. In order to ensure support for successful adaptation to this illness, it is of paramount importance to identify the most prominent factors affecting well-being that allow for accurate prediction of mental health status across time. Here we exploit a rich set of clinical, psychological, socio-demographic and lifestyle data from a large multicentre study of patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer, in order to classify patients based on their mental health status and further identify potential predictors of such status. For this purpose, a supervised learning pipeline using cross-sectional data was implemented for the formulation of a classification scheme of mental health status 6 months after diagnosis. Model performance in terms of AUC ranged from 0.81± 0.04 to 0.90± 0.03. Several psychological variables, including initial levels of anxiety and depression, emerged as highly predictive of short-term mental health status of women diagnosed with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Despite the continued progress of medicine, dealing with breast cancer is becoming a major socio-economic challenge, particularly due to its increasing incidence. The ability to better manage and adapt to the entire care process depends not only on the type of cancer, but also on the patient's socio-demographic and psychological characteristics and on the social environment in which a person lives and interacts. Therefore, it is important to understand which factors may contribute to a successful adaptation to breast cancer. To our knowledge, no studies have been already performed on the combination effect of multiple psychological, biological and functional variables in predicting the patient’s ability to bounce back from the stressful life event, such as a breast cancer diagnosis. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study will be to build a quantitative mathematical model of factors associated with optimal adjustment capacity to cancer and study resilience through the cancer continuum in a population of breast cancer patients. METHODS 660 women with breast cancer will be recruited in five European cancer centers in Italy, Finland, Israel and Portugal. Biomedical and psychosocial variables will be collected using the Noona Healthcare platform. Psychosocial, socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical variables will be measured every 3 months, starting from pre-surgery assessment (baseline) to 18 months after surgery. RESULTS Temporal data mining, time-series prediction, sequence classification methods, clustering time-series data, and temporal association rules will be used to develop the predictive model. Results will be disseminated during 2022. CONCLUSIONS The present study will provide a predictive model able to describe individual resilience and identify different resilience’s trajectories along the care process. The results will allow the implementation of tailored interventions according to the patient’s need, supported by e-health technologies. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05095675

The current study assessed breast cancer patients' somatic symptoms during the first six months post diagnosis and examined the moderating role of coping flexibility (i.e., trauma-focused and forward-focused coping strategies) on the association between reported somatic symptoms three months after breast cancer diagnosis and somatic symptoms six months after diagnosis.An international sample of 702 women diagnosed with breast cancer from four countries (Finland, Israel, Italy, Portugal) completed self-reported questionnaires at three time points: at the time of diagnosis (M0), three months post diagnosis (M3), and six months post diagnosis (M6). The questionnaires included the coping flexibility scale and questions about demographics, medical data, and somatic symptoms.The highest level of somatic symptoms was reported after three months post diagnosis (M3), as compared to M0 and M6. Both trauma-focused and forward-focused coping strategies moderated the relationship between somatic symptoms at M3 and somatic symptoms at M6.The findings highlight the importance of assessing somatic symptoms soon after breast cancer diagnosis and throughout the early phase of treatment. Coping flexibility can buffer the stability of the somatic symptoms during this initial phase.

The study aimed to examine differences between paediatric nurses and physicians regarding burnout syndrome, secondary traumatic stress (STS) and perceived social support (PSS).Paediatric nurses and physicians encounter cumulative effects of treating sick and injured children and helping their families, in situations that might promote burnout and STS.Cross-sectional design.Nurses (n = 158) and physicians (N = 76) completed self-report questionnaires on STS, PSS and burnout.Nurses and physicians had similar rates of STS and burnout but showed significant differences in PSS. Furthermore, STS mediated the association between PSS and burnout for both groups; however, the effect was stronger for nurses in comparison to physicians.Paediatric nurses and physicians would benefit from participating in interventions geared towards reducing STS, thus minimizing burnout. Moreover, advocating social support within the organization is needed to bolster the ability for coping with sources of stress.Nurses' and physicians' involvement in the physical, physiological and mental needs of their paediatric patients might lead to burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS). However, research on social support in the context of burnout and STS among nurses and physicians is scant. Secondary traumatic stress and burnout were similar for nurses and physicians, though perceived social support (PSS) was higher for nurses. Secondary traumatic stress plays a mediating role in the association between PSS and burnout among nurses and physicians. However, the mediation effect was stronger for nurses. Policy makers would be wise to advocate institutional stress management interventions to reduce secondary traumatic and to reinforce organizational support for nurses and physicians.目的: 此研究旨在探讨儿科护士与医生之间关于倦怠综合征、继发性创伤压力(STS)和领悟社会支持(PSS)的差异。 背景: 儿科护士和医生会在治疗患病和受伤儿童以及帮助其家庭时遭遇累积效应,这样的情况可能会导致倦怠和继发性创伤压力(STS)。 设计: 横断设计。 方法: 护士(n = 158)和医生(N = 76)完成关于继发性创伤压力(STS)、领悟社会支持(PSS)以及倦怠的主管报告调查表。 结果: 护士和医生有着相似的的继发性创伤压力(STS)率以及倦怠率,但领悟社会支持(PSS)率有着显著差异。此外,继发性创伤压力(STS)调解了两组领悟社会支持(PSS)与倦怠之间的关系。然而,相比于医生,继发性创伤压力(STS)对护士的影响更加显著。 结论: 儿科护士和医生将受益于参与旨在减少继发性创伤压力(STS)的干预措施,从而最大程度地减少倦怠。此外,非常有必要在组织内倡导社会支持,从而增强应对压力源的能力。 影响陈述: 护士和医生与儿科患者的生理和心理需求接触可能会导致倦怠和继发性创伤压力(STS)。然而, 社会支持以及倦怠和领悟社会支持(PSS)背景下对护士和医生的研究却很少。护士和医生会面对相似的继发性创伤压力和倦怠,不过护士的领悟社会支持(PSS)相比来说会更高。继发性创伤压力对护士和医生的领悟社会支持(PSS)和倦怠有调解作用。但是,继发性创伤压力对护士的影响更加明显。决策者应该提倡机构压力管理干预措施,以减少继发性创伤并加强对护士和医生的组织支持。.

ObjectiveThe provision of end-of-life (EOL) care has complex effects on both the professional and personal well-being of medical health personnel (MHP). Previous studies have mostly focused on negative or positive influences as mutually exclusive effects. This study offers a new conceptualization by applying a dialectical lens, looking at secondary traumatic stress (STS) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) as dual possible coexisting phenomena. The creation of four theoretically possible profiles, based on the combinations of high or low levels in each dimension, offers a practical translation of this idea toward intervention development.MethodData were collected at a large tertiary pediatric medical center (n = 1,123) aiming at assessing all personnel. Research methods included collecting demographic data and using validated scales to assess STS, PTG, burnout, compassion satisfaction, and both personal and professional social support.ResultsWe classified four response profiles according to the STS and PTG levels: (1) Dialectical-impact, high STS/high PTG, (2) Growth-dominant, high PTG/low STS, (3) Stress-dominant, high STS/low PTG, and (4) Limited-impact, low STS/low PTG. The four profiles differed based on profession, but not other demographics. Physicians were represented significantly higher in the Stress-dominant profile; nurses were highly represented in the Dialectical-impact profile. A significant difference was found when adding reported EOL care as a distinct factor with a higher relative proportion of the “dialectical” response among those reporting providing EOL care.Significance of resultsFindings from this study point toward the recognition and understanding of the complexity resulting from the provision of EOL care. A more complex profile classification, including the dialectical profile, may reflect a broader tendency to ways that MHP are affected by their work. Introducing “dialectical thinking” can lead to more personalized and precise intervention planning for MHP. Tailored interventions promoting personal and professional well-being, based on individual profiles, can contribute to more effective interventions and better resource utilization.

Background: University and college students are not usually identified as a population at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, there is growing evidence of their specific distress associated with facing multiple abrupt changes and the need for rapid adaptation to a variety of academic, social, and financial challenges. The extent of their exposure to COVID-19 media and the associated media-related stress may further impair students’ perceived coping. Objective: This study assessed COVID-19-related functional difficulties and perceived coping among higher education students in Israel and explored the moderating role played by media coverage of the pandemic in inducing stress and exacerbating COVID-19-related difficulties in perceived coping among students. Method: Data was collected from 7,446 students from seven academic centres in Israel through online questionnaires about four to six weeks after the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel. Results: The findings showed positive associations between COVID-19-related difficulties, media exposure, media-related stress, and decreased levels of perceived coping with the pandemic. Moreover, media-related stress (but not the level of media exposure) moderated the relationship between COVID-19-related difficulties and perceived coping: the associations were significantly stronger for students reporting high media-related stress in comparison to individuals reporting low media-related stress. Conclusions: These results highlight the specific role of media-related stress and the need to distinguish this risk factor from the global impact of exposure to media coverage. The need for self-monitoring of the subjective level of stress associated with media exposure should be part of the psychoeducation efforts provided by public health authorities for promoting self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic., HIGHLIGHTS This study assessed COVID-19-related functional difficulties and perceived coping among 7,446 higher education students and explored the moderating role played by media coverage of the pandemic in inducing stress and exacerbating COVID-19-related difficulties in perceived coping.

The current study focused on pediatric nurses. It explored the direct link between posttraumatic growth as a coping resource and burnout and the indirect link between posttraumatic growth and burnout via secondary traumatic stress (mediating effect). Moreover, meaning in work was examined as a moderator variable in relation to the direct link and the indirect link. One hundred and thirty-eight nurses working at a pediatric medical center filled out self-report questionnaires regarding personal and professional data, burnout, posttraumatic growth, secondary traumatic stress, and meaning in work. Posttraumatic growth was found to be a coping resource that linked to pediatric nurses' burnout directly and indirectly. Directly, there was an inverse correlation between the two; indirectly, posttraumatic growth linked negatively to secondary traumatic stress, and secondary traumatic stress linked positively to burnout. Moreover, meaning in work played a dual moderating role. First, it moderated the relationship between posttraumatic growth and secondary traumatization. Second, it moderated the direct relationship between posttraumatic growth and burnout, namely, the negative link between posttraumatic growth and burnout became stronger as meaning in work increased. As such, we recommend enhancing personal and professional posttraumatic growth, as well as designing interventions that promote meaningful work among pediatric nurses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a sense of threat, and stress that has surged globally at an alarming pace. University students were confronted with new challenges. This study examined university students' functional difficulties and concerns during COVID-19 pandemic in two countries: Israel and Ukraine. Additionally, it examined the similarities and differences in prediction of COVID-related concerns in both countries. Two large samples of university students were drawn from both countries. Results showed that students' main functional difficulties in both countries were: worries about their family health status and their learning assignments. In both countries, COVID-related functional difficulties and stress associated with exposure to the media added a significant amount of the explained variance of COVID-related concerns after controlling for background variables. In conclusion-while the level of exposure and difficulties may differ by country and context, their associations with students' concerns seem robust. Additionally, repeated exposure to media coverage about a community threat can lead to increased anxiety.

Continuous distress affects developing children in numerous ways and is especially consequential for children’s self-regulation abilities. During critical periods of brain development, children are especially vulnerable to the effects of trauma and violence. Exposure to trauma, including political violence, can drastically disrupt a child’s capacity for three domains of self-regulation that are crucial to healthy functioning: sensory regulation, executive functioning, and emotion regulation. Children’s self-regulation capacities are further influenced by parental regulation, which is reflected in relational emotion regulation and, at times, the subsequent manifestation of relational post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This chapter summarizes the effects of trauma and exposure to political violence on these domains of regulation and the influence of parental co-regulation in times of continual exposure to trauma and political violence. The chapter concludes with two examples of interventions aimed at enhancing regulation capacities in children facing prolonged exposure to political violence in Israel.

The Building Resilience Intervention (BRI), a program developed in the wake of terrorism and war in Israel, provides teachers with resilience-building skills that enable them to support students suffering from post-traumatic distress. Teachers in the Bedouin city of Rahat were evaluated both before and after the BRI workshop intervention for post-traumatic distress levels, functional impairment, flexibility, emotional regulation, general resilience measures and workshop impact. Results showed significant increases among teachers in areas such as positive refocusing and reappraisal, and increased willingness to discuss traumatic material with their students. Incorporating resilience training in teacher education is discussed.

Minority groups are especially vulnerable to the negative psychological and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study focused on one prominent minority group in Israel: ultra-Orthodox Jews. It examined the rate of exposure to COVID-19, adherence to COVID-19 mitigation guidelines, difficulties with adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, COVID-related concerns, financial hardships, the need for help, and microaggression during the first wave of the pandemic (April–May 2020). It then examined multivariate prediction of COVID-related concerns, the need for help, and microaggression. The sample comprised 252 respondents, with 67% female and a mean age of 32.85 (SD = 10.63). Results showed that 78.8% of the participants knew at least one person who had tested positive for COVID-19, and 31.4% knew at least one person who had passed away from COVID-19. Only 59.7% of the participants reported high adherence to social distancing guidelines. Perceived microaggression was predicted by the difficulties with adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, the level of stress associated with exposure to the media, and financial hardships. The study’s implications point to the centrality of perceived microaggression and the necessity of adopting culturally sensitive approaches to engage minorities in public efforts to fight the spread of viruses.

This study examined whether maternal depression, mother–child relationships, and maternal perceived social support mediate the associations between child’s exposure to multiple traumatic events and behavioral problems. We recruited a representative sample of 904 Israeli (Jewish and Arab) mothers and their 2- to 6-year-old children. Data collection was conducted through structured face-to-face interviews with the mothers between July and November 2011. All measures were completed by the mothers. We used the child’s and mother’s exposure to political violence questionnaires, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a short version of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey. The research study model was tested using path analysis. The model showed a very good fit to the data, suggesting that maternal rejection, maternal depression, and social support play an important role in child’s behavioral problems in the context of multiple traumatic events. Higher levels of maternal rejection were significantly associated with greater children behavior problems. Maternal rejection mediated the associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child’s behavioral problems. Maternal perceived social support mediated the associations between child’s exposure to multiple traumatic events and child’s behavioral problems; child’s exposure to multiple traumatic events was associated with lower levels of maternal perceived social support. In turn, lower levels of perceived social support were associated with higher levels of behavioral problems. In conclusion, in accordance with the “social stress framework,” social support has a mediation role in the association between exposure to traumatic events and child’s behavioral problems. Thus, enhancing social support to mothers to young children in the context of multiple traumatic events is essential for children resiliency.

In situations of cumulative trauma, it is often unclear why some people remain resilient, whereas others experience distress, and how likely these responses are to change over time. To investigate the constancy of responses to cumulative trauma, stability and change in posttraumatic distress and resistance (as defined by no evidence of clinical symptoms) were assessed twice in 140 Israeli children and mothers exposed to continual rocket attacks over approximately 7 years, when the children were 2-4 (Time 1) and 9-11 years of age (Time 2). Measures included trauma exposure, posttraumatic and depressive symptoms, and child behavioral problems. We identified 4 longitudinal courses (LCs): resilient (resistance at Time 1 and Time 2), recovered (clinical distress at Time 1 and resistance at Time 2), developed symptoms (resistance at Time 1 and clinical distress at Time 2), and chronic distress (clinical distress at Time 1 and Time 2). Results showed more stability than change in the frequencies of resistance at both times of measurement. The resilient LC was the most common longitudinal course for both mothers and children. Multinomial regression models indicated that maternal posttraumatic symptoms predicted the recovered and chronic distress LCs of the children.

Coping with breast cancer and its consequences has now become a major socioeconomic challenge. The BOUNCE EU H2020 project aims at building a quantitative mathematical model of factors associated with optimal adjustment capacity to cancer. This paper gives an overview of the project targets and on the algorithmic methods focusing on modeling the psychological resilience trajectories during breast cancer treatment.

The Middle East has been in conflict for many decades and wars have become the ‘normative reality’ of children residing in the area. Questions have been raised about children’s vulnerability to the stresses that come with living in a war area. Are children more resilient because they are more flexible in their ways of coping? Or are children more vulnerable because their psychological development is influenced by the environment?

Millions of individuals and families live under continual exposure to threat such as protracted socio-political conflict or community violence facing current and future danger. The construct of continuous traumatic stress (CTS) was suggested as a supplement perspective for the understanding of the specific impact of living under both current and realistic future threat. Yet, the unique parameters, utility, and validity of the construct CTS are underexplored. Currently, CTS describes both the exposure and the unique clinical conglomerate of distress. In this paper, we first elaborate on the rationale for the construct of CTS. Then, we present evidence on the consequences of exposure to CTS in the Israeli context of continual ongoing and prolonged political violence. Research on CTS is presented across the life cycle with an emphasis on risk and protective factors from a developmental perspective. We conclude with implications for research, assessment, and interventions.

Background The interrelation between exposure to trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and regulatory functioning in children is gaining increasing attention. This study examines the effects of maternal posttraumatic symptoms (PTS) on child deficits in sensory regulation, behavior regulation, and executive functioning. Method The sample at the first measurement (2011, T1) included 382 Israeli mothers and their young children (child's mean age = 3.89 years; SD = 1.26), and 240 of them were reassessed after 4 years (2015, T2). Mothers self-reported their trauma exposure and posttraumatic distress symptoms (PTSD) and filled out questionnaires on their children's sensory regulation (new version of the Short Sensory Profile including sensory processing and behavior regulation as well as their level of executive functioning (Dysexecutive Questionnaire). Results A path model showed that maternal PTS at T1 predicted maternal PTS at T2, which in turn was associated with problems in their children's sensory regulation, behavior regulation, and their level of executive functioning. These results highlight the relationship between mother's posttraumatic distress and her child's regulatory functioning. Conclusions The study supports the construct of relational PTSD and broadens it to additional aspects of children's deficits in sensory regulation, behavior regulation, and executive functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).