The present review examines the moderating role of ideology on the effects of war, armed conflict... more The present review examines the moderating role of ideology on the effects of war, armed conflict, and terrorism on youth. Ideology is an important factor given the central role played by religio-political ideology and nationalism in present-day conflicts. Ideologies or worldviews represent cognitive frameworks that imbue the traumatic situation with meaning and order. Analysis of the pool of studies identified three categories of ideologically based moderating factors, each representing an aspect of social construction of traumatic events, namely, religion, political ideology, and self-concept. The two closely related categories of religion and politicoreligious beliefs showed both positive and negative effects on psychological and psychiatric outcomes among youth. The third category of different aspects of self-concept yielded consistently positive moderating effects. The mechanisms by which each category of ideology moderates effects of exposure to war, armed conflict, and terrorism are discussed, and research and clinical implications are presented.
The article addresses the current status of Piaget's theory as a perspective on the natur... more The article addresses the current status of Piaget's theory as a perspective on the nature of the human intellect and its development. As a framework for discussion, we adopt Lakatos's methodology of research programs, which has been used by several authors to debate the role of Piaget's and other perspectives on cognitive development. The position we advocate is that, in recent years, research in cognitive development has undergone a profound change of perspective, in the course of which the basic ontological commitments of the Piagetian approach have been challenged and undermined. We argue that Piaget's fundamental assumptions of overarching structures and the process of equilibration have been superseded by a new perspective represented by a synthesis of domain-specific and domain-general processes, which has become the dominant impetus in the field.
The life events model was extended to study quantitatively the effects of conflictual political c... more The life events model was extended to study quantitatively the effects of conflictual political conditions on children's adjustment. Subjects were 397 Israeli children aged 12–13 from three residential areas, each representing different political tensions—central Tel Aviv area, Golan Heights and the occupied West Bank settlements. The Political Life Events (PLE) scale constructed for the study revealed a significant array of measurable adverse political events to which children attribute trauma response, with both severity and impact higher for children from the settlements. The hypotheses of a linear relation between severity and impact of PLE exposure to psychological distress were confirmed for all three areas and for both genders. Implications of these findings relate to the efficacy of the life events model in the political domain and to the data yield on children's subjective distress and psychiatric symptomatology reactions during an assumably normalized period. Methodological, political and clinical ramifications of these results are discussed.
Differential anxiety responses to television coverage of national threat situations and terrorism... more Differential anxiety responses to television coverage of national threat situations and terrorism in Israel were examined. A total of 237 participants were evenly divided into two groups, each exposed to an experimental or control condition. The experimental condition involved exposure to television news clips of terrorism and threats to national security. The control condition involved equivalent-length exposure to news clips unrelated to national danger situations. Results supported the anxiety-inducing effect of the experimental condition and indicated differential demographic and dispositional responses to the footage according to gender, religiousness, and level of dogmatism. These results support the powerful effect of the mass media and advocate further exploration of links between media broadcasting of political violence and psychological processes.
The Encyclopedia of Peace Psychology, Dec 15, 2011
Despite ever-growing calls for peace and the proliferation of peacekeeping initiatives, many area... more Despite ever-growing calls for peace and the proliferation of peacekeeping initiatives, many areas in the world continue to be violent environments in which children develop, often struggling to survive amid frightening conditions and destruction. Wars, terrorism, social conflicts, and political violence are man-made disasters. Perhaps one of the most tragic consequences of modern warfare is that present global conflicts are mostly prosecuted as a prolonged series of violent events by irregular forces and within civilian cities and communities. This implies that the horrors of war extend beyond traditional battlefields to places where children live, implicating them both as direct and indirect victims. Keywords: political violence; children; adolescents; pathology; resilience
Background: Limiting contagion during the Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated employment of drasti... more Background: Limiting contagion during the Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated employment of drastic measures ranging from complete lockdown to home isolation and quarantines. This study examined the psychiatric effects of home isolation, the effects of interacting previous traumatic events and the moderating effect of self-mastery as a resilience factor that could mitigate negative effects. Methods: Six hundred forty-five adults aged 18-67 completed an online survey during the first wave lockdown during the Covid-19 outbreak in Israel. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire including measures of strictness of adherence to home isolation, a traumatic life events measure, the Mastery Scale, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Data was analyzed using Structural Equation Model. Results: Findings showed positive relations between strictness of home isolation adherence and psychiatric symptoms, and between previous trauma exposure and psychiatric symptoms. A negative relation between self-mastery and psychiatric symptoms emerged. During home isolation, effects of previous trauma exposure on psychiatric symptoms was moderated by self-mastery. Individuals with high self-mastery showed less psychiatric symptoms than those with low self-mastery, at both high and low levels of previous trauma exposure. Conclusions: Home isolation adherence is associated with significant psychological distress and symptomatology and, thus, should be of great concern for public mental health service providers. The present study offers a new slant on appropriate clinical interventions during this period with a focus on strengthening resilience factors that can moderate mental health decline. Therapy and interventions based on promoting self-mastery could exert a significant effect on lowering psychiatric symptoms during stressful periods of home isolation. Trial registration: Not relevant.
Vast literature exists detailing the identification and management of central auditory processing... more Vast literature exists detailing the identification and management of central auditory processing disorder in children: however, less information is available regarding central auditory processing disorder in the adult population. This study aimed to document the diagnostic and management procedure for adults presenting at a multidisciplinary clinic due to concerns regarding their listening and central auditory processing skills. This retrospective study was a case file audit of two adults (a male, aged 37 years and a female, aged 44 years) who presented at a multidisciplinary (audiology and speech pathology) clinic for a hearing and central auditory processing evaluation. Both participants completed a case history questionnaire and were then interviewed with results being documented in their file. Participants were evaluated by a dually qualified audiologistspeech pathologist on a battery of peripheral hearing tests (including pure-tone threshold audiometry, immittance measures and speech tests), central auditory processing assessments (including monaural low redundancy, dichotic listening and temporal processing tests) and evaluation of short-term auditory memory skills. Participants were self-referred, never having been assessed previously for central auditory processing disorder, yet had perceived heightened difficulty with processing information; having conversations (particularly in noisy work or social environments) and remembering information, resulting in a range of psychosocial responses. Following diagnosis of central auditory processing disorder, participants undertook an individualized short-term aural rehabilitation program as dictated by their needs and preferences. Post-program participants perceived better ability to listen and process information even in adverse listening conditions. They reported that their newly learned skills improved their work abilities and social participation leading to positive outcomes. Medical and other allied health professionals should consider the possibility of presentation of central auditory processing disorder in adulthood and make appropriate referrals for central auditory processing testing to facilitate diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Aural rehabilitation should be considered for adults newly diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder.
Abstract This study investigated a horizontal décalage phenomenon in the development of children&... more Abstract This study investigated a horizontal décalage phenomenon in the development of children's knowledge about heating and cooling. Décalage phenomena have posed a problem to orthodox Piagetian theory and have reinforced the objection by some domain-specific theorists to the central Piagetian notion of overarching structures. The aim of this study was to contribute to this debate by empirical observation of décalage phenomena. A total of 270 children from 3 ethnic groups were tested for their understanding of heating ...
In the last decades, millions of families worldwide have been forced to flee their homes and seek... more In the last decades, millions of families worldwide have been forced to flee their homes and seek asylum elsewhere due to war, conflict, and persecution. Though these families are exposed to adverse circumstances, studies regarding mental health consequences to these families are scant. In the current study, we examined the mental health of asylum-seeking mothers and their children. Participants were 18 mother-child dyads of asylum-seekers. Mothers completed the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist. Children completed the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and General Self-Efficacy Scale. Children's psychological difficulties positively correlated with mothers' general distress, somatization, depression, and anxiety. The relation between mothers' exposure to trauma and their children's psychological difficulties was moderated by mothers' mental health. Finally, children's self-efficacy moderated relations between mothers' post-traumatic stress Symptoms and children's psychological difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of identifying risk and resilience factors among asylum-seeker families. Immigration is a growing global phenomenon influencing multiple domains of population characteristics worldwide. The demographic features of international migration, such as age and gender composition, are constantly changing as more women and children are forced to cross national borders (Freeman, 2006). War, conflict, civil unrest, and religious persecution are some of the reasons that force families to flee their homes and seek refuge and safety elsewhere (Nakash, Nagar, & Lurie, 2016; UNHCR, 2019). According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2019 approximately 70.8 million people worldwide were forced to migrate, of whom 25.9 million were refugees and 3.5 million asylum-seekers (UNHCR, 2019). Asylum-seekers are displaced people seeking international protection while awaiting the decision on their claim for asylum, by the country to which the claim has been submitted (UNHCR, 2001). Over half of the world's displaced children are either from refugee or asylumseeking families (UNHCR, 2019). Asylum-seeking families are usually considered as a more vulnerable population than refugee families, since their status has not yet been granted, and therefore their access to services is limited and their future is still unclear (Müller, Gossmann, & Hartmann, 2019). There is a growing body of research regarding the mental health of asylum-seekers, and evidence-based psychological interventions aimed at increasing their well-being (
Children who live in conditions of poverty are at high risk for developmental and emotional diffi... more Children who live in conditions of poverty are at high risk for developmental and emotional difficulties. This study compared the psychological distress of migrant workers in Israel and their children with the psychological distress of low socioeconomic Israeli mothers and their children. We hypothesized that migrant working mothers and their children would show higher levels of distress than Israeli mothers and their children, and that single mothers and their children would show higher levels of distress than married mothers and their children. Three hundred and twenty-three mothers aged 25-59 and their children aged 6-12 participated in the study. One hundred and sixty-seven mothers were migrant workers, mostly from the Philippines, and 156 were Israeli working mothers of low socioeconomic status. One hundred and fifty-seven of the mothers were married and 143 were single. The mothers completed a measure of psychological distress and measures of their children's behavioral problems, psychological functioning, and satisfaction with life. The children completed measures of negative life events, subjective competence and psychological functioning. Overall, hypotheses were confirmed for children but not mothers, although migrant mothers reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than Israeli mothers. Levels of psychological distress were similar in single versus married mothers. In contrast, children whose mothers were migrant workers or single working mothers were at significantly higher psychological risk than children of Israeli mothers or married mothers respectively. This study contributes to an understanding of problem domains that should be addressed in welfare, and points to the need for psychological interventions for migrant and single-mother families that foster positive mother-child communication and interaction.
Millions of children have been maimed, displaced, orphaned and killed in modern warfare that targ... more Millions of children have been maimed, displaced, orphaned and killed in modern warfare that targets civilian populations. Several reviews have documented the impact of political trauma on children's mental health but none has focused specifically on young children (ages 0-6). Since developmental factors influence the young child's perception and experience of traumatic events, this developmental period is characterized by a unique spectrum of responses to political trauma. This systematic review, comprising 35 studies that included a total of 4365 young children, examined the effects of exposure to war, conflict and terrorism on young children and the influence of parental factors on these effects. Results showed that effects include PTSD and post-traumatic stress symptoms, behavioral and emotional symptoms, sleep problems, disturbed play, and psychosomatic symptoms. Correlations emerged between parental and children's psychopathology and, additionally, family environment and parental functioning emerged as moderators of the exposure-outcome association for children.
This original collection examines the managerial and organizational implications of international... more This original collection examines the managerial and organizational implications of international terrorism and threats to security. When Islamic terrorists flew hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center on 9/11, it changed much of the world forever. The number of deaths and the financial losses resulting from the attack was unprecedented. 9/11 highlighted how risky life in organizations had become.
This study examined whether attitudinal and emotional responses to broadcasts of images of terror... more This study examined whether attitudinal and emotional responses to broadcasts of images of terrorist events differ according to ethnic group (Jewish and Arab Israelis) and outgroup affiliation during an intense wave of terrorism that occurred in Israel during 2015. Participants were 118 Jewish and 110 Arab-Israelis adults randomly allocated to a terrorism or criminal violence television broadcast. State anxiety, state anger, stereotypes, and negative attitudes toward an adversary were examined prior and subsequent to the media exposure. Findings showed significant increases in anxiety, anger, stereotypes, and negative adversary perceptions in the terrorism exposure group compared to only anxiety increases in the criminal violence exposure. In the terrorism exposure group, Jewish participants showed greater increases in negative adversary perceptions of the Palestinians than Arab Israeli participants, but both groups showed similar significant increases in levels of anxiety and anger. Exposure to broadcasts of terrorism increased willingness to negotiate with the adversary among the Arab participants, but not among the Jewish participants. In the terrorism exposure group, both Jewish and Arab Israelis with high affiliation with the Palestinian cause showed less increases in stereotypes than those with low affiliation. Findings emphasize the role of ethnicity and outgroup affiliation in responses to media exposure to terrorism images.
International Journal of Stress Management, Feb 1, 2008
Two clinical interventions to moderate negative responses to media exposure to terrorism were tes... more Two clinical interventions to moderate negative responses to media exposure to terrorism were tested. Participants were 300 young Israeli adults randomly allocated to a terrorism or nonterrorism televised news clip and assigned to 1 of 3 preexposure intervention conditions-cognitive, emotional, or control. Emotional responses of anxiety and anger and attitudinal responses of stereotypes and enemy perception were measured prior and subsequent to manipulation. Results indicated higher posttest levels of anxiety, anger, stereotypes, and negative enemy perception in the terrorism versus nonterrorism media exposure. In the terrorism group, clinical interventions moderated anxiety and increased willingness for conflict resolution. Findings indicate contributions of preparatory interventions for the public in certain contexts of terrorism and its media coverage.
This study evaluates a school-based primary prevention intervention designed to promote adolescen... more This study evaluates a school-based primary prevention intervention designed to promote adolescents' coping in the immediate aftermath of war exposure in Operation Cast Lead. Participants were 179 adolescents from two demographically similar schools in Ashkelon in south Israel. The intervention incorporated two previously proven resilience factors-mobilization of support and self-efficacy. In a repeated measures design, the study assessed pre-to post-test changes in intervention (n = 94) and control (n = 85) conditions among adolescents exposed to high or low political life events (PLE). Findings showed significant pre-test differences in self-efficacy and psychological symptoms between participants with low and high PLE. For both PLE groups, the intervention strengthened support mobilization and self-efficacy and reduced psychological distress and emotional symptoms. Findings reinforce the importance of offering appropriate evidence-based interventions for school staff to restore security and well-being to adolescents in a crisis context immediately following war. Despite the apparent return to a school routine after war, school staff should be aware of the risk to youth for development of psychological symptoms and disorders, and the need for preventative intervention.
The symbiotic relationship between terrorism and its media coverage is explored from the perspect... more The symbiotic relationship between terrorism and its media coverage is explored from the perspective of audience reactions. In an empirical study, effects of television broadcasts of terrorism on viewers’ emotional and attitudinal reactions are examined. Participants were 300 Israeli adults randomly allocated to terrorism or violent nonterrorism broadcasts. Anxiety, anger, stereotypes, and enemy perception were measured prior and subsequent to
This study investigates the effect of three psychopolitical factors on children's psychologic... more This study investigates the effect of three psychopolitical factors on children's psychological adjustment. The three factors are exposure to political life events, impact assigned to experienced events, and perception of threat. Subjects were 397 Israeli children aged 12-13 sampled from three residential areas, which differed along a religious-ideological axis—West Bank settlements, the Golan Heights, and greater Tel Aviv. All children responded to a political life events scale, a questionnaire battery assessing threat perception and ideological conviction, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Results for two factors confirm the central hypothesis that the factors will be related linearly to distress, indicating increased distress levels with magnification of perceived impact of political events and perception of threat. A secondary hypothesis that ideology mediates the psychopolitical variables to distress relation was not confirmed. These results have implications for comprehension of political environmental dimensions impairing children's mental health.
The present review examines the moderating role of ideology on the effects of war, armed conflict... more The present review examines the moderating role of ideology on the effects of war, armed conflict, and terrorism on youth. Ideology is an important factor given the central role played by religio-political ideology and nationalism in present-day conflicts. Ideologies or worldviews represent cognitive frameworks that imbue the traumatic situation with meaning and order. Analysis of the pool of studies identified three categories of ideologically based moderating factors, each representing an aspect of social construction of traumatic events, namely, religion, political ideology, and self-concept. The two closely related categories of religion and politicoreligious beliefs showed both positive and negative effects on psychological and psychiatric outcomes among youth. The third category of different aspects of self-concept yielded consistently positive moderating effects. The mechanisms by which each category of ideology moderates effects of exposure to war, armed conflict, and terrorism are discussed, and research and clinical implications are presented.
The article addresses the current status of Piaget's theory as a perspective on the natur... more The article addresses the current status of Piaget's theory as a perspective on the nature of the human intellect and its development. As a framework for discussion, we adopt Lakatos's methodology of research programs, which has been used by several authors to debate the role of Piaget's and other perspectives on cognitive development. The position we advocate is that, in recent years, research in cognitive development has undergone a profound change of perspective, in the course of which the basic ontological commitments of the Piagetian approach have been challenged and undermined. We argue that Piaget's fundamental assumptions of overarching structures and the process of equilibration have been superseded by a new perspective represented by a synthesis of domain-specific and domain-general processes, which has become the dominant impetus in the field.
The life events model was extended to study quantitatively the effects of conflictual political c... more The life events model was extended to study quantitatively the effects of conflictual political conditions on children's adjustment. Subjects were 397 Israeli children aged 12–13 from three residential areas, each representing different political tensions—central Tel Aviv area, Golan Heights and the occupied West Bank settlements. The Political Life Events (PLE) scale constructed for the study revealed a significant array of measurable adverse political events to which children attribute trauma response, with both severity and impact higher for children from the settlements. The hypotheses of a linear relation between severity and impact of PLE exposure to psychological distress were confirmed for all three areas and for both genders. Implications of these findings relate to the efficacy of the life events model in the political domain and to the data yield on children's subjective distress and psychiatric symptomatology reactions during an assumably normalized period. Methodological, political and clinical ramifications of these results are discussed.
Differential anxiety responses to television coverage of national threat situations and terrorism... more Differential anxiety responses to television coverage of national threat situations and terrorism in Israel were examined. A total of 237 participants were evenly divided into two groups, each exposed to an experimental or control condition. The experimental condition involved exposure to television news clips of terrorism and threats to national security. The control condition involved equivalent-length exposure to news clips unrelated to national danger situations. Results supported the anxiety-inducing effect of the experimental condition and indicated differential demographic and dispositional responses to the footage according to gender, religiousness, and level of dogmatism. These results support the powerful effect of the mass media and advocate further exploration of links between media broadcasting of political violence and psychological processes.
The Encyclopedia of Peace Psychology, Dec 15, 2011
Despite ever-growing calls for peace and the proliferation of peacekeeping initiatives, many area... more Despite ever-growing calls for peace and the proliferation of peacekeeping initiatives, many areas in the world continue to be violent environments in which children develop, often struggling to survive amid frightening conditions and destruction. Wars, terrorism, social conflicts, and political violence are man-made disasters. Perhaps one of the most tragic consequences of modern warfare is that present global conflicts are mostly prosecuted as a prolonged series of violent events by irregular forces and within civilian cities and communities. This implies that the horrors of war extend beyond traditional battlefields to places where children live, implicating them both as direct and indirect victims. Keywords: political violence; children; adolescents; pathology; resilience
Background: Limiting contagion during the Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated employment of drasti... more Background: Limiting contagion during the Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated employment of drastic measures ranging from complete lockdown to home isolation and quarantines. This study examined the psychiatric effects of home isolation, the effects of interacting previous traumatic events and the moderating effect of self-mastery as a resilience factor that could mitigate negative effects. Methods: Six hundred forty-five adults aged 18-67 completed an online survey during the first wave lockdown during the Covid-19 outbreak in Israel. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire including measures of strictness of adherence to home isolation, a traumatic life events measure, the Mastery Scale, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Data was analyzed using Structural Equation Model. Results: Findings showed positive relations between strictness of home isolation adherence and psychiatric symptoms, and between previous trauma exposure and psychiatric symptoms. A negative relation between self-mastery and psychiatric symptoms emerged. During home isolation, effects of previous trauma exposure on psychiatric symptoms was moderated by self-mastery. Individuals with high self-mastery showed less psychiatric symptoms than those with low self-mastery, at both high and low levels of previous trauma exposure. Conclusions: Home isolation adherence is associated with significant psychological distress and symptomatology and, thus, should be of great concern for public mental health service providers. The present study offers a new slant on appropriate clinical interventions during this period with a focus on strengthening resilience factors that can moderate mental health decline. Therapy and interventions based on promoting self-mastery could exert a significant effect on lowering psychiatric symptoms during stressful periods of home isolation. Trial registration: Not relevant.
Vast literature exists detailing the identification and management of central auditory processing... more Vast literature exists detailing the identification and management of central auditory processing disorder in children: however, less information is available regarding central auditory processing disorder in the adult population. This study aimed to document the diagnostic and management procedure for adults presenting at a multidisciplinary clinic due to concerns regarding their listening and central auditory processing skills. This retrospective study was a case file audit of two adults (a male, aged 37 years and a female, aged 44 years) who presented at a multidisciplinary (audiology and speech pathology) clinic for a hearing and central auditory processing evaluation. Both participants completed a case history questionnaire and were then interviewed with results being documented in their file. Participants were evaluated by a dually qualified audiologistspeech pathologist on a battery of peripheral hearing tests (including pure-tone threshold audiometry, immittance measures and speech tests), central auditory processing assessments (including monaural low redundancy, dichotic listening and temporal processing tests) and evaluation of short-term auditory memory skills. Participants were self-referred, never having been assessed previously for central auditory processing disorder, yet had perceived heightened difficulty with processing information; having conversations (particularly in noisy work or social environments) and remembering information, resulting in a range of psychosocial responses. Following diagnosis of central auditory processing disorder, participants undertook an individualized short-term aural rehabilitation program as dictated by their needs and preferences. Post-program participants perceived better ability to listen and process information even in adverse listening conditions. They reported that their newly learned skills improved their work abilities and social participation leading to positive outcomes. Medical and other allied health professionals should consider the possibility of presentation of central auditory processing disorder in adulthood and make appropriate referrals for central auditory processing testing to facilitate diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Aural rehabilitation should be considered for adults newly diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder.
Abstract This study investigated a horizontal décalage phenomenon in the development of children&... more Abstract This study investigated a horizontal décalage phenomenon in the development of children's knowledge about heating and cooling. Décalage phenomena have posed a problem to orthodox Piagetian theory and have reinforced the objection by some domain-specific theorists to the central Piagetian notion of overarching structures. The aim of this study was to contribute to this debate by empirical observation of décalage phenomena. A total of 270 children from 3 ethnic groups were tested for their understanding of heating ...
In the last decades, millions of families worldwide have been forced to flee their homes and seek... more In the last decades, millions of families worldwide have been forced to flee their homes and seek asylum elsewhere due to war, conflict, and persecution. Though these families are exposed to adverse circumstances, studies regarding mental health consequences to these families are scant. In the current study, we examined the mental health of asylum-seeking mothers and their children. Participants were 18 mother-child dyads of asylum-seekers. Mothers completed the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist. Children completed the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and General Self-Efficacy Scale. Children's psychological difficulties positively correlated with mothers' general distress, somatization, depression, and anxiety. The relation between mothers' exposure to trauma and their children's psychological difficulties was moderated by mothers' mental health. Finally, children's self-efficacy moderated relations between mothers' post-traumatic stress Symptoms and children's psychological difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of identifying risk and resilience factors among asylum-seeker families. Immigration is a growing global phenomenon influencing multiple domains of population characteristics worldwide. The demographic features of international migration, such as age and gender composition, are constantly changing as more women and children are forced to cross national borders (Freeman, 2006). War, conflict, civil unrest, and religious persecution are some of the reasons that force families to flee their homes and seek refuge and safety elsewhere (Nakash, Nagar, & Lurie, 2016; UNHCR, 2019). According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2019 approximately 70.8 million people worldwide were forced to migrate, of whom 25.9 million were refugees and 3.5 million asylum-seekers (UNHCR, 2019). Asylum-seekers are displaced people seeking international protection while awaiting the decision on their claim for asylum, by the country to which the claim has been submitted (UNHCR, 2001). Over half of the world's displaced children are either from refugee or asylumseeking families (UNHCR, 2019). Asylum-seeking families are usually considered as a more vulnerable population than refugee families, since their status has not yet been granted, and therefore their access to services is limited and their future is still unclear (Müller, Gossmann, & Hartmann, 2019). There is a growing body of research regarding the mental health of asylum-seekers, and evidence-based psychological interventions aimed at increasing their well-being (
Children who live in conditions of poverty are at high risk for developmental and emotional diffi... more Children who live in conditions of poverty are at high risk for developmental and emotional difficulties. This study compared the psychological distress of migrant workers in Israel and their children with the psychological distress of low socioeconomic Israeli mothers and their children. We hypothesized that migrant working mothers and their children would show higher levels of distress than Israeli mothers and their children, and that single mothers and their children would show higher levels of distress than married mothers and their children. Three hundred and twenty-three mothers aged 25-59 and their children aged 6-12 participated in the study. One hundred and sixty-seven mothers were migrant workers, mostly from the Philippines, and 156 were Israeli working mothers of low socioeconomic status. One hundred and fifty-seven of the mothers were married and 143 were single. The mothers completed a measure of psychological distress and measures of their children's behavioral problems, psychological functioning, and satisfaction with life. The children completed measures of negative life events, subjective competence and psychological functioning. Overall, hypotheses were confirmed for children but not mothers, although migrant mothers reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than Israeli mothers. Levels of psychological distress were similar in single versus married mothers. In contrast, children whose mothers were migrant workers or single working mothers were at significantly higher psychological risk than children of Israeli mothers or married mothers respectively. This study contributes to an understanding of problem domains that should be addressed in welfare, and points to the need for psychological interventions for migrant and single-mother families that foster positive mother-child communication and interaction.
Millions of children have been maimed, displaced, orphaned and killed in modern warfare that targ... more Millions of children have been maimed, displaced, orphaned and killed in modern warfare that targets civilian populations. Several reviews have documented the impact of political trauma on children's mental health but none has focused specifically on young children (ages 0-6). Since developmental factors influence the young child's perception and experience of traumatic events, this developmental period is characterized by a unique spectrum of responses to political trauma. This systematic review, comprising 35 studies that included a total of 4365 young children, examined the effects of exposure to war, conflict and terrorism on young children and the influence of parental factors on these effects. Results showed that effects include PTSD and post-traumatic stress symptoms, behavioral and emotional symptoms, sleep problems, disturbed play, and psychosomatic symptoms. Correlations emerged between parental and children's psychopathology and, additionally, family environment and parental functioning emerged as moderators of the exposure-outcome association for children.
This original collection examines the managerial and organizational implications of international... more This original collection examines the managerial and organizational implications of international terrorism and threats to security. When Islamic terrorists flew hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center on 9/11, it changed much of the world forever. The number of deaths and the financial losses resulting from the attack was unprecedented. 9/11 highlighted how risky life in organizations had become.
This study examined whether attitudinal and emotional responses to broadcasts of images of terror... more This study examined whether attitudinal and emotional responses to broadcasts of images of terrorist events differ according to ethnic group (Jewish and Arab Israelis) and outgroup affiliation during an intense wave of terrorism that occurred in Israel during 2015. Participants were 118 Jewish and 110 Arab-Israelis adults randomly allocated to a terrorism or criminal violence television broadcast. State anxiety, state anger, stereotypes, and negative attitudes toward an adversary were examined prior and subsequent to the media exposure. Findings showed significant increases in anxiety, anger, stereotypes, and negative adversary perceptions in the terrorism exposure group compared to only anxiety increases in the criminal violence exposure. In the terrorism exposure group, Jewish participants showed greater increases in negative adversary perceptions of the Palestinians than Arab Israeli participants, but both groups showed similar significant increases in levels of anxiety and anger. Exposure to broadcasts of terrorism increased willingness to negotiate with the adversary among the Arab participants, but not among the Jewish participants. In the terrorism exposure group, both Jewish and Arab Israelis with high affiliation with the Palestinian cause showed less increases in stereotypes than those with low affiliation. Findings emphasize the role of ethnicity and outgroup affiliation in responses to media exposure to terrorism images.
International Journal of Stress Management, Feb 1, 2008
Two clinical interventions to moderate negative responses to media exposure to terrorism were tes... more Two clinical interventions to moderate negative responses to media exposure to terrorism were tested. Participants were 300 young Israeli adults randomly allocated to a terrorism or nonterrorism televised news clip and assigned to 1 of 3 preexposure intervention conditions-cognitive, emotional, or control. Emotional responses of anxiety and anger and attitudinal responses of stereotypes and enemy perception were measured prior and subsequent to manipulation. Results indicated higher posttest levels of anxiety, anger, stereotypes, and negative enemy perception in the terrorism versus nonterrorism media exposure. In the terrorism group, clinical interventions moderated anxiety and increased willingness for conflict resolution. Findings indicate contributions of preparatory interventions for the public in certain contexts of terrorism and its media coverage.
This study evaluates a school-based primary prevention intervention designed to promote adolescen... more This study evaluates a school-based primary prevention intervention designed to promote adolescents' coping in the immediate aftermath of war exposure in Operation Cast Lead. Participants were 179 adolescents from two demographically similar schools in Ashkelon in south Israel. The intervention incorporated two previously proven resilience factors-mobilization of support and self-efficacy. In a repeated measures design, the study assessed pre-to post-test changes in intervention (n = 94) and control (n = 85) conditions among adolescents exposed to high or low political life events (PLE). Findings showed significant pre-test differences in self-efficacy and psychological symptoms between participants with low and high PLE. For both PLE groups, the intervention strengthened support mobilization and self-efficacy and reduced psychological distress and emotional symptoms. Findings reinforce the importance of offering appropriate evidence-based interventions for school staff to restore security and well-being to adolescents in a crisis context immediately following war. Despite the apparent return to a school routine after war, school staff should be aware of the risk to youth for development of psychological symptoms and disorders, and the need for preventative intervention.
The symbiotic relationship between terrorism and its media coverage is explored from the perspect... more The symbiotic relationship between terrorism and its media coverage is explored from the perspective of audience reactions. In an empirical study, effects of television broadcasts of terrorism on viewers’ emotional and attitudinal reactions are examined. Participants were 300 Israeli adults randomly allocated to terrorism or violent nonterrorism broadcasts. Anxiety, anger, stereotypes, and enemy perception were measured prior and subsequent to
This study investigates the effect of three psychopolitical factors on children's psychologic... more This study investigates the effect of three psychopolitical factors on children's psychological adjustment. The three factors are exposure to political life events, impact assigned to experienced events, and perception of threat. Subjects were 397 Israeli children aged 12-13 sampled from three residential areas, which differed along a religious-ideological axis—West Bank settlements, the Golan Heights, and greater Tel Aviv. All children responded to a political life events scale, a questionnaire battery assessing threat perception and ideological conviction, and the Brief Symptom Inventory. Results for two factors confirm the central hypothesis that the factors will be related linearly to distress, indicating increased distress levels with magnification of perceived impact of political events and perception of threat. A secondary hypothesis that ideology mediates the psychopolitical variables to distress relation was not confirmed. These results have implications for comprehension of political environmental dimensions impairing children's mental health.
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Papers by Michelle Slone