Department of Social and Health Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
J Psychiatr Res. 2024 May;173:111-114. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.03.003. Epub 2024 Mar 19.
Traumatic exposure can result in acute stress symptoms in the immediate aftermath and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms that persist beyond the initial weeks. Both short-term and long-term reactions require research and clinical attention. There is considerable evidence for age differences in PTSD, and older adults frequently present lower rates of PTSD compared to young adults. Much less is known concerning age differences in acute reaction or the extent to which age differences in PTSD are affected by age differences in acute stress. The current study examined acute stress and PTSD symptoms among young and older adult Israelis during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. A web-based sample of 428 participants (mean age = 48.36 ± 16.29) completed retrospective accounts of pre-war psychological distress and acute stress in the first week of the war and further reported current PTSD symptoms. Rates of elevated levels of acute stress symptoms and probable PTSD were significantly higher among young adults (24.8% and 42.8%, respectively) compared to their older counterparts (3.7% and 13.7%, respectively). Age differences in probable PTSD remained significant even after controlling for other demographics, traumatic exposure, pre-war psychological distress, and acute stress symptoms. These preliminary findings further attest to the impressive resilience manifested by older adults during wartime. Moreover, as age differences in probable PTSD were not fully explained by acute reactions, unique mechanisms may be mobilized by older adults to cope with warfare trauma in the short- and long term.
创伤性暴露会导致即时和创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状，这些症状会持续数周以上。短期和长期的反应都需要研究和临床关注。有大量证据表明 PTSD 存在年龄差异，与年轻人相比，老年人的 PTSD 发生率较低。对于急性反应中的年龄差异以及 PTSD 中的年龄差异在多大程度上受到急性应激中的年龄差异的影响，了解甚少。本研究调查了 2023 年以色列-哈马斯战争期间年轻和老年以色列成年人的急性应激和 PTSD 症状。一个基于网络的 428 名参与者（平均年龄 48.36±16.29 岁）完成了战前心理困扰和战争第一周急性应激的回顾性报告，并进一步报告了当前的 PTSD 症状。与老年参与者（分别为 3.7%和 13.7%）相比，年轻参与者（分别为 24.8%和 42.8%）的急性应激症状和可能的 PTSD 水平升高的比例显著更高。即使在控制了其他人口统计学因素、创伤性暴露、战前心理困扰和急性应激症状后，可能的 PTSD 中的年龄差异仍然显著。这些初步发现进一步证明了老年人在战争期间表现出的令人印象深刻的适应能力。此外，由于可能的 PTSD 中的年龄差异不能完全用急性反应来解释，老年人可能会在短期和长期内调动独特的机制来应对战争创伤。
