Hamama L, Sarid O, Hamama-Raz Y
Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
The Spitzer Department of Social Work and Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change, Beer-Sheva, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.
Stress Health. 2025 Feb;41(1):e3525. doi: 10.1002/smi.3525.
This study focuses on two groups: evacuees from Israel's southern and northern frontline communities following the October 7th Hamas attack, and individuals from regions not directly threatened. Using network analysis, we identified key associations and central nodes related to stress indicators (i.e., exposure to traumatic life events, physical health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression) as well as personal resources (i.e., self-mastery and meaning in life), and coping strategies. The study included 221 evacuees and 145 non-evacuees (controls), recruited via iPanel, Israel's leading online research panel. Participants completed standardised self-report questionnaires. Evacuees exhibited higher levels of anxiety, depression, and traumatic life events, than did controls. Additionally, evacuees showed higher levels of problem-focused coping and a greater sense of meaning in life, along with lower physical health-related quality of life. Network analysis revealed that both groups had four sub-networks: 'personal state', 'psychological distress', 'resources', and 'coping'. However, the sub-networks' composition varied. Both groups shared similar sub-networks for 'coping' and 'personal state', but differed in 'psychological distress' and 'resources'. For the controls, dysfunctional coping strategies were part of 'psychological distress', whereas for evacuees, they were included in 'resources'. Additionally, meaning in life was more central among the controls, influencing the interaction between coping mechanisms, personal states, and psychological distress. For evacuees, physical health-related quality of life was more closely associated with the absence of negative factors-(i.e., anxiety, depression, traumatic experiences, and lower self-mastery)-rather than the presence of adaptive coping strategies and meaning in life. These differences highlight the vulnerability of evacuees and the central role of personal resources. Targeted interventions that foster resources such as self-mastery and meaning in life are vital for coping with the psychological distress associated with forced displacement.
10月7日哈马斯袭击后，来自以色列南部和北部前线社区的撤离者，以及来自未受直接威胁地区的个人。通过网络分析，我们确定了与压力指标（即遭受创伤性生活事件、与身体健康相关的生活质量、焦虑和抑郁）、个人资源（即自我掌控和生活意义）以及应对策略相关的关键关联和中心节点。该研究纳入了221名撤离者和145名非撤离者（对照组），通过以色列领先的在线研究小组iPanel招募。参与者完成了标准化的自我报告问卷。与对照组相比，撤离者表现出更高水平的焦虑、抑郁和创伤性生活事件。此外，撤离者表现出更高水平的以问题为导向的应对方式和更强的生活意义感，同时与身体健康相关的生活质量较低。网络分析显示，两组都有四个子网：“个人状态”、“心理困扰”、“资源”和“应对”。然而，子网的构成有所不同。两组在“应对”和“个人状态”方面有相似的子网，但在“心理困扰”和“资源”方面存在差异。对于对照组，功能失调的应对策略是“心理困扰”的一部分，而对于撤离者，它们被纳入“资源”。此外，生活意义在对照组中更为核心，影响着应对机制、个人状态和心理困扰之间的相互作用。对于撤离者来说，与身体健康相关的生活质量与不存在负面因素（即焦虑、抑郁、创伤经历和较低的自我掌控）更为密切相关，而不是与适应性应对策略和生活意义的存在相关。这些差异凸显了撤离者的脆弱性以及个人资源的核心作用。培养自我掌控和生活意义等资源的针对性干预措施对于应对与被迫流离失所相关的心理困扰至关重要。
