Lazar Aryeh, Gewirtz-Meydan Ateret
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
J Sex Marital Ther. 2025;51(6):652-664. doi: 10.1080/0092623X.2025.2534593. Epub 2025 Jul 20.
This study investigates the moderating role of war-time stress on the associations between sexual distress with sexual and psychological well-being. The study focuses on individuals affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict during 2023-2024, using a retrospective design to assess pre-war levels of sexual distress together with current levels of well-being. Participants' exposure to direct stressors, media-related stressors, and acute stress symptoms were evaluated alongside their sexual and psychological well-being. The results indicate significant associations between sexual distress and measures of well-being, with war-time stress moderating these relationships. Higher levels of stress exposure attenuated the negative associations between sexual distress and well-being, suggesting a buffering effect. This counterintuitive finding may be explained by the prioritization of immediate survival concerns and the activation of resilience mechanisms under extreme stress. The findings have important implications for clinicians and policymakers in conflict-affected regions, emphasizing the necessity for comprehensive, trauma-informed healthcare frameworks. By advancing the understanding of these dynamics, the study aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies to promote the well-being of individuals and communities impacted by armed conflicts. Future research should explore the proposed mechanisms through longitudinal studies and diverse data sources to further elucidate these relationships.
本研究调查了战时压力在性困扰与性健康和心理健康之间关联中的调节作用。该研究聚焦于2023年至2024年期间受以色列-哈马斯冲突影响的个体，采用回顾性设计来评估战前的性困扰水平以及当前的健康水平。同时评估了参与者暴露于直接应激源、与媒体相关的应激源和急性应激症状的情况以及他们的性健康和心理健康状况。结果表明性困扰与健康指标之间存在显著关联，战时压力对这些关系起到调节作用。更高水平的压力暴露减弱了性困扰与健康之间的负相关，表明存在缓冲效应。这一违反直觉的发现可能是由于在极端压力下对即时生存问题的优先考虑以及复原力机制的激活。这些发现对受冲突影响地区的临床医生和政策制定者具有重要意义，强调了全面的、创伤知情的医疗保健框架的必要性。通过增进对这些动态关系的理解，该研究旨在为制定促进受武装冲突影响的个人和社区福祉的有效策略做出贡献。未来的研究应通过纵向研究和多样化的数据来源探索所提出的机制，以进一步阐明这些关系。
