Predictors of individual, community and national resiliencies of Israeli Jews and Arabs

Anxiety, post-traumatic symptoms, media-induced secondary trauma, post-traumatic growth, and resilience among mental health workers during the Israel-Hamas war

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war is posing additional challenges for mental health workers in an already stressful workplace. This study centres on the psychological effects of the shared traumatic reality on mental health workers, arising from the Israel-Hamas war. One month after exposure to the terrorist attack of 7 October 2023 and the outbreak of war following this event, 147 mental health workers completed questionnaires regarding a variety of variables such as demographics, anxiety symptoms, acute stress symptoms, media-induced secondary trauma, personal resilience, National resilience (NR), and post-traumatic growth (PTG). The study found that mental health workers with previous trauma displayed higher anxiety symptoms, acute stress symptoms, and media-induced secondary trauma. Additionally, acute stress and anxiety were positively correlated with media-induced secondary trauma. Religiosity, personal resilience, and NR were found associated with lower anxiety and acute stress symptoms. Religiosity was also positively correlated with personal resilience, NR, and PTG. The PTG of mental health workers working with trauma survivors and evacuees was higher compared to that of other mental health workers. Both adverse and adaptive reactions were evident among mental health workers. While traumatic stress is expected, individual, professional, and NR factors may mitigate its effects. Providing training, social support, regulated media exposure, stress management, and meaning-focused coping strategies can help safeguard workers' well-being.

A full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022: Resilience and coping within and beyond Ukraine

The study examined the resilience and coping of samples from Ukraine and five nearby countries during the war in Ukraine. The research focused on (1) the levels of community and societal resilience of the Ukrainian respondents compared with the populations of five nearby European countries and (2) commonalities and diversities concerning coping indicators (hope, well-being, perceived threats, distress symptoms, and sense of danger) across the examined countries. A cross-sectional study was conducted, based on data collection through Internet panel samples, representing the six countries' adult populations. Ukrainian respondents reported the highest levels of community and societal resilience, hope, and distress symptoms and the lowest level of well-being, compared to the population of the five nearby European countries. Hope was the best predictor of community and societal resilience in all countries. Positive coping variables, most notably hope, but also perceived well-being are instrumental in building resilience. While building resilience on a societal level is a complex, multifaceted task, various dimensions must be considered when planning actions to support these states. It is essential to monitor the levels of resilience, during and following the resolution of the crisis, both in Ukraine and in the neighboring countries.

A longitudinal study of societal resilience and its predictors during the Israel-Gaza war

This study assesses the resilience of Israeli society during the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and pinpoints factors that influence this resilience in prolonged national crises. A longitudinal study was carried out with two surveys, both using the same questionnaire to gage societal, community, and individual resilience levels, along with hope, morale, distress, perceived threats, and government support. The initial survey was administered 5 days after the war escalated and the second 1 month later. The study's results reveal a decline in societal resilience over time. The regression analysis identified four major associations at both resilience measurement points. The key variables are community resilience and hope, both contributing positively. Attitudes towards government support (specifically being a government supporter vs. an opponent) also played a role. Additionally, there was a negative association with levels of religiosity, particularly distinguishing between ultra-orthodox and secular individuals. In the temporal analysis predicting future resilience (from data at the first time point to predict resilience at the second time point), societal resilience at the first measurement was the strongest forecaster of its resilience at the second measurement. Additionally, the main continuous variable from the previous analysis, community resilience, continued to be an influential and positive forecaster in the time-based analysis. The research suggests that the initial unifying effect of the conflict, similar to a "Rally around the flag" phenomenon, may be short-lived. The study underlines the importance of community strength, hope, government support, and religious considerations in shaping societal resilience in the face of conflict.

The mental health impact of the October 7th terror attack on Jews and Arabs in Israel: A nationwide prospective study

INTRODUCTION

On October 7, 2023, Israeli citizens came under an unprecedented terrorist attack that impacted the entire country. Recent research has begun to document the mental health impact of the attack but has yet to address the question of whether the attack had a differential impact across ethnic communities. In this nationwide prospective cohort study, we aimed to determine possible differences in psychopathology between Jews and Arabs in the post-October 7th attack. Specifically, we aimed to understand the role ethnicity may play in changes in probable PTSD, depression, and anxiety diagnoses from pre- to post-attack.

METHODS

The sample comprised 656 participants (332 female, 50.7%) aged 18-85 (M = 41.01, SD = 13.72). Of this cohort, 557 participants (84.9%) were Jews, and 99 (15.1%) were Arabs, reflecting their national proportionality. Validated self-report questionnaires were completed to assess PTSD, depression, and anxiety at two time points: August 20 to 30th, 2023 (T1; 6-7 weeks before the attack) and November 9-19, 2023 (T2; 5-6 weeks after the attack).

RESULTS

At T2, Arab Israeli participants reported significantly higher prevalences of probable PTSD, depression, and anxiety diagnoses than Jewish Israeli participants. A series of hierarchical logistic regressions revealed that, compared with Jews, Arab participants presented with higher prevalence of probable PTSD (OR = 2.53 95% CI = 1.46-4.37, p < 0.0001), depression (OR = 1.68 95% CI = 1.35-3.01, p < 0.0001) and anxiety (OR = 6.42 95% CI = 3.95-10.52, p < 0.0001), controlling for prevalences of probable diagnoses at T1 as well as for trauma-related variables.

DISCUSSION

Citizens belonging to the Arab ethnic minority in Israel were found to be at higher risk for psychopathology in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack compared with their Jewish majority counterparts. Thus, it becomes critical to employ culturally sensitive assessments and interventions following the attack to prevent the development of chronic symptoms and disorders.

Sense of coherence and religion/spirituality: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on a methodical classification of instruments measuring religion/spirituality

The coherence hypothesis assumes that sense of coherence (SOC) explains the positive link between religion/spirituality (R/S) and mental health. The aim of our meta-analysis is to evaluate the evidence for the association between SOC (sensu Antonovsky) and different aspects of R/S and thus to contribute to the verification of the coherence hypothesis. Eighty-nine English- and German-language primarily cross-sectional studies with 67,913 participants met the inclusion criteria. The R/S scales of all included studies were subjected to item-by-item qualitative content analysis in order to determine whether scales do actually measure religion or spirituality and which R/S aspects dominated the instrument. Based on this classification, overall and subgroup meta-analyses were conducted using a random effects model. The adjusted effect size between SOC and all positive R/S measures was r+ = .120, 95% CI [.092, .149]. Particularly significant (r+ < -.180 or > .180) were correlations with negative R/S scales (r+ = -.405, 95% CI [-.476, -.333]), R/S instruments measuring primarily positive emotions (r+ = .212, 95% CI [.170, .253]) or meaning-making (r+ = .196, 95% CI [.126, .265]). Both sample characteristics (age, culture, gender, health status, religious affiliation) and study characteristics (e.g., publication year) had a moderating effect on the R/S-SOC connection. The correlation was particularly high in studies from Southern Asia (r+ = .226, 95% CI [.156, .297]), the African Islamic cultural value zone (r+ = .196, 95% CI [.106, .285]), and in a small subgroup of Iranian studies (r+ = .194, 95% CI [.117, .271]). The results confirm that R/S and SOC are clearly associated and suggest that there are different religious/spiritual pathways to a strong SOC. The strength of the associations presumably depends not only on individual differences, but also on cultural embeddedness and social plausibility of R/S. Trial registration. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021240380. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID = CRD42021240380.

Impact of the war in Ukraine on resilience, protective, and vulnerability factors

War or armed conflict is one of the most severe human-made adversities. The current study examines the resilience, protective, and vulnerability factors of a sample of Ukrainian civilians, during the current Russian-Ukrainian war. The level of resilience and coping indicators were compared with the responses of an Israeli sample following an armed conflict in May 2021. The data were collected by an internet panel company. A representative sample of Ukrainian residents (N = 1,001) responded to an online questionnaire. A stratified sampling method was employed regarding geographic distribution, gender, and age. The data concerning the Israeli population (N = 647) were also collected by an internet panel company during a recent armed conflict with Gaza (May 2021). Three notable results emerged in this study: (a) The Ukrainian sample reported significantly higher levels of the following: Distress symptoms, sense of danger, and perceived threats, compared with the Israeli sample. However, despite these harsh feelings, the Ukrainian respondents reported substantially higher levels of hope and societal resilience compared, to their Israeli counterparts, and somewhat higher individual and community resilience. (b) The protective factors of the respondents in Ukraine (level of hope, wellbeing, and morale), predicted the three types of resilience (individual, community, and social) better than the vulnerability factors (sense of danger, distress symptoms, and level of threats). (c) The best predictors of the three types of resilience were hope and wellbeing. (d) The demographic characteristics of the Ukrainian respondents hardly added to the prediction of the three types of resilience. It appears that a war that threatens the independence and sovereignty of a country may, under certain conditions, enhance the societal resilience and hope of the population under risk, despite a lower sense of wellbeing and higher levels of distress, sense of danger, and perceived threats.

Perceived partial social integration, levels of distress and resilience, and COVID-19 vaccine rejection of Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel

Introduction

The present study examines the role of perceived partial social integration (PPSI) in determining the rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine of Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel.

Methods

The research hypotheses are examined using a relatively large sample of the Israeli public, including 208 Arab and 600 Jewish adults, who have responded to an anonymous questionnaire pertaining, among other issues, to partial social integration and the individual level of vaccine uptake.

Results

Higher levels of PPSI were found to be associated with higher levels of vaccine rejection, in both Jewish and Arab samples. The Arab minority group regards themselves as less socially integrated into the Israeli society and therefore rejects the COVID-19 vaccine to a greater extent than the majority group. The Arab respondents expressed a higher level of psychological distress and a lower level of resilience compared with the Jewish participants. The perceived partial social integration score significantly predicted the levels of distress and resilience of the Jewish but not the Arab sample.

Discussion

The study indicates that increasing the vaccination rates depends more substantially on trust in the authorities than on leveraging greater pressure on individuals that reject the vaccine. Increased trust in the authorities and regarding oneself as an integral component of society are two vital conditions for vaccine acquiescence. Insufficient social integration is a major reason for vaccine rejection.

Impact of societal resilience on vaccine hesitancy and uptake: Lessons learned from the Israeli experience

BACKGROUND

Vaccine hesitancy threatens COVID-19 pandemic management. Increasing vaccine uptake is important to containment of the virus, and achievement of herd immunity.

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors of resilience, distress, and well-being that impact vaccine hesitancy and uptake.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was conducted during the pandemic's fourth wave. The data were collected by an internet panel company. A representative sample of Israeli residents (N = 2002) answered an online questionnaire. A stratified sampling method was employed regarding geographic distribution, gender, and age. As vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to the effective management of the pandemic, the outcome measures included vaccine hesitancy and uptake (dependent variables), and resilience, distress, and well-being (independent variables).

RESULTS

24% of respondents reported a high level of vaccine hesitancy; 68% received 3 vaccines; 5% did not receive any vaccine. Six predictors together explained 22% of vaccine hesitancy and 15% of vaccine uptake.Path analysis indicated that: (a) Societal resilience was the best predictor of vaccine hesitancy and uptake: the higher the societal resilience, the lower vaccine hesitancy, and the higher vaccine uptake. (b) The higher sense of danger, the higher vaccine hesitancy, and the lower vaccine uptake. (c) The higher level of religiosity, the lower vaccine uptake. (d) The higher the family income, the lower level of vaccine hesitancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that public attitudes are primarily influenced by the degree of trust in the leadership and other components of societal resilience. Further research should investigate the impact of transparency concerning COVID-19 decision-making on vaccine hesitancy and uptake.

Partial Social Integration as a Predictor of COVID-19 Vaccine Rejection and Distress Indicators

Partial social integration refers to the perceived exclusion of individuals or groups, from full participation in their society. The current study claims that perceived partial social integration (PPSI) constitutes a substantial predictor of the rejection of the COVID-19 vaccine, a significant mediator of the impact of demographic variables (such as age and level of income) on this vaccine rejection, and an important predictor of indices of psychological distress during pandemic times. Previous publications show that although vaccines constitute a very efficient means for countering pandemics, vaccine hesitancy is a prevalent public response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study is one of a few studies examining the impact of psychological variables on the actual behavior of vaccine rejection rather than on the cognitive element of vaccine hesitancy. A sample of 600 Israeli Jewish adults responded in February 2022 to an anonymous questionnaire exploring, among other issues, the (PPSI), the individual level of vaccine uptake, and the level of distress of these individuals. Path analyses of the variables predicted by PPSI indicated the following results: (a) PPSI score negatively predicted vaccine uptake level and significantly mediated the effects of age and family income on the level of vaccination. (b) PPSI levels significantly predicted higher levels of anxiety, depression, and a sense of danger and negatively predicted societal resilience. The discussion elaborates the contention that the PPSI is a substantial cause of psychological distress and in compliance with the pandemic vaccination guidelines, despite the potential health risk involved.

Conspiracy claims and secret intentions as predictors of psychological coping and vaccine uptake during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign led to hesitancy, deferment and un-resolving resistance of certain groups or individuals worldwide. Reasons for these reactions include distrust in the COVID-19 vaccine that was developed rapidly, lack of trust in governing entities and unrealistic optimism (UO). Each of these reasons may involve claims of secret intentions or conspiracy theories. The present study examined the role of three different explanations for vaccine hesitancy and rejection, in predicting psychological coping, distress, and level of vaccine uptake, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Blaming the vaccine and its producers, blaming the state's authorities, and expressing criticism in UO terms, which may hint of some secret intention that underlies the vaccination request. The research was conducted on a sample of 2002 Israeli adults who responded to an anonymous questionnaire about vaccine hesitancy and psychological coping. We assumed that conspiracy theories aimed at the medical and the governing authorities, and the UO insinuations of covert intentions of these authorities, represent two different psychological processes. UO responses to adversity are aimed at reducing anxiety attributing covert intentions to the authorities and the pharmaceutical companies is an expression of anxiety. Three major hypotheses are examined. First, stronger criticism of the vaccine will be associated with a lower level of vaccination. Second, more extreme criticism of the political and the medical authorities for requesting vaccination, raised as a reason for vaccine hesitation will positively predict a higher level of anxiety and negatively predict the extent of good psychological coping. A stronger opposition to the vaccine in terms of UO will be positively associated with a greater scope of resilience and coping and will be negatively linked to indicators of distress. Results supported these hypotheses and enhanced the ongoing discussion on the contribution of UO to psychological adjustment, by illustrating its beneficial effects on this adjustment. Conspiracy Theories and Secret Intentions as Predictors of Psychological Coping and Vaccine Uptake throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic in Israel.

"Apples and Oranges": Examining Different Social Groups' Compliance With Government Health Instructions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus outbreak has demonstrated the crucial effect of the public's compliance with the government's health instructions on the population's health. However, evidence shows that some communities are less likely to comply with such instructions than others. This study highlights the factors related to intentions to comply with newly issued health directives during an ongoing extreme crisis, such as the current pandemic. In addition, it compares the impact of these factors on different minority groups and the general population in Israel.

METHODS

Using an online survey (N=1005), we examined the impact of compliance-related factors on compliance intentions with newly issued health directives in two minority groups in Israel: the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community (N=323) and the Arab community (N=361), as well as in the general population (N=321), during the first outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Participants were presented with a new made-up COVID-19-related instruction simulated to be issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health. Compliance intentions and compliance-related factors were measured.

RESULTS

The Arab minority expressed greater intentions of complying with the instructions than the other groups. Perceptions on risk and the effectiveness of the instruction were the only two significantly associated factors with compliance intentions in all of the social groups. Additional factors affected different groups to different extents. Trust in government was related to compliance intentions only in the Arab minority.

CONCLUSION

Intentions to comply with health instructions during a crisis differ in various minority groups and in comparison to the general population, both in their levels and in the factors related to them. Policy-makers and health authorities should consider providing information about the risks and negative outcomes of the crisis as well as the expected effectiveness of the recommended behaviors. Future research should examine other minority groups and other types of instructions in different stages of a crisis.

Resilience and Risk Factors Predict Family Stress Among Married Palestinians in Israel During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The present study examined effects of sociodemographic, risk, and resilience factors on marital, parental, and financial stress early in the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 480 married Palestinians living in Israel, using self-report questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were computed. Then, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict each of the three stress measures. Finally, dominance analyses were conducted to compare the contributions of sociodemographic, risk, and resilience factors. The results showed considerable differences between predictors of marital and parental stress and predictors of financial stress. For marital and parental stress, resilience factors mainly family resilience were the strongest predictors, followed by risk factors and then sociodemographic characteristics. For financial stress, risk factors (mainly financial damage and prior stressful life events) were the strongest predictors, followed by sociodemographic characteristics and resilience factors (mainly individual resilience). These results suggest that family and individual resilience reduce marital and parental stress under difficult conditions, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Though resilience has been found to ameliorate financial stress to some extent, it appears that other measures are required to manage stress related to financial difficulties.

The relationship between religiosity/spirituality and quality of life among female Eritrean refugees living in Norwegian asylum centres

BACKGROUND

Women are more vulnerable to mental health problems than men after migration, but little is known about the influence of religiosity/spirituality on their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to explore religiosity/spirituality, in relationships with various domains of quality of life, among female Eritrean refugees staying in Norwegian asylum centres.

METHOD

A questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics was used together with the World Health OrganizationQuality of Life - Spirituality, Religiosity and Personal Beliefs (WHOQOL-SRPB) questionnaire, which assesses religiosity/spirituality and domains of quality of life. A total of 63 adult female Eritrean refugees who had been granted asylum but were still living in asylum reception centres located in southern and central Norway participated.

RESULTS

Religiosity/spirituality was independently associated with psychological quality of life (B = 0.367, p < .001), level of independence (B = 0.184, p = .028), social quality of life (B = 0.500, p = .003), environmental quality of life (B = 0.323, p < .001) and overall quality of life (B = 0.213, p < .001), but not with physical quality of life (B = 0.056, p = .679). There were no significant differences between religious affiliations on religiosity/spirituality or quality of life measures.

CONCLUSION

Consistent with previous research, this study highlights the correlation between religiosity/spirituality and overall quality of life. We recommend a longitudinal follow-up study of similar populations, after they are resettled and integrated into their host countries, to understand the associations between quality of life and religiosity/spirituality over time.

Social Capital as a Mediator and Moderator in the Association between Loneliness and Health, Israel as a Case Study

Loneliness has been associated with poor health. Social capital (SC) could possibly prevent the ill effects of loneliness. The study aims to assess the association of loneliness with physical and mental health in four different communities in Israel and study the impact of structural and cognitive SC on that association. A cross-sectional face-to-face survey with 4620 adults in four towns was conducted. The questionnaire included self-rated health (SRH), mental health (MH), loneliness, cognitive and structural SC and socioeconomic characteristics. Logistic regression analysis and mediation and moderation effects were calculated. Loneliness was associated with worse SRH (OR = 0.4–0.5) and worse MH (OR = 2.0–10). Both SC variables were associated with health. However, towns differ in these associations. Structural SC serves as a significant mediator between loneliness and SRH in all towns and is a mediator between loneliness and MH in two towns. Cognitive social capital was a moderator between loneliness and MH in two towns. This study suggests that increasing SC could possibly compensate for loneliness and buffer its effect on health. The study reinforces the need for the performance of separate health profiles to assess possible interventions for each community, as not always can we generalize these results to all communities.

Belonging to Socially Excluded Groups as a Predictor of Vaccine Hesitancy and Rejection

The scientific call for vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic has met hesitancy, postponement, and direct opposition of parts of the public in several countries. Mistrusting the COVID-19 vaccine, distrusting the authorities, and unrealistic optimism, are three major reasons employed in justifying vaccine hesitancy. The present study examines two major issues. First, it strives to identify individuals that are unwilling to adhere to the vaccination process, more strongly question the effectiveness and necessity of the COVID-19 vaccine, and wonder about potential covert reasons for its administration. Second, it investigates associations between such “conspiracy” claims and the actual rejection of the vaccine. We assume that individuals belonging to social groups which are partly excluded by the general society will be less willing to fulfill the demands of this society, more inclined to reject the vaccine and associate it with some hidden conspiracy. A relatively large sample of the Israeli public (N = 2002) has responded to an anonymous questionnaire pertaining, among other things, to vaccine hesitancy and the individual level of vaccine uptake. Previous research has mainly examined the reasons for vaccine hesitancy. The present study's results indicate that three out of four social exclusion criteria (young adulthood, low level of income, and orthodox religiosity) have negatively predicted vaccine uptake and positively predicted three types of reasoning for vaccine hesitancy. Young adulthood was the strongest predictor of vaccine rejection. Attempts at convincing hesitating individuals to uptake this vaccine have often failed in many countries. As varied reasons underlie vaccine refusal, it is suggested that the approach to different vaccine rejecting groups should not be generic but rather tailor-made, in an attempt to influence their perceptions and behavior.

Nursing Students in Crisis Mode: Fluctuations in Anxiety During the COVID-19-Related Lockdown

Supplemental digital content is available in the text.

The COVID-19 pandemic initiated a period of new and difficult challenges for nursing students.

Fluctuations in National Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current study measured national resilience (NR) in three different time frames during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Israel (N = 804). We investigated two main issues: first, the direction and extent of NR changes during the crisis, and second, the predictors of NR. The results show the following: (a) the average NR score declined significantly across the three repeated measures, with a medium-size effect. (b) Three of the four identified NR factors declined significantly across the three measurements: belief in the government and the prime minister (large effect size); belief in civil society; and patriotism (medium effect size); while trust in Israeli national institutions was the lowest and did not weaken significantly. (c) Analyzing the prediction of NR factors indicated that the levels of the three NR factors mainly reflected one's political attitudes, sense of political and economic threats, rather than health threats. One conclusion concerns the importance of trust in leadership as the most sensitive component in the decline of national resilience following a crisis.

Measurement and antecedents of national resilience in Filipino adults during coronavirus crisis

Resilience is a broad concept that encompasses individual and social resources to thrive from difficult circumstances. The resilience that occurs as a collective effort or country-wide phenomenon is referred to as national resilience (NR), which connotes the ability of a nation to deal with crises while keeping its social fabric intact. Like the rest of the world, the Philippines has been greatly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and we argue that a stable and robust NR is needed to bounce back from the challenges and adversities of the crisis. This pioneering study on NR in Filipino adults was conducted to achieve two aims (1) assess the psychometric properties of the Filipino adapted National Resilience Scale (NRS-Filipino) and (2) determine demographic and psychological variables that influence NR. Data from 401 participants yielded an exploratory factor analysis with a good model fit for a four-factor solution that is similar to the original National Resilience Assessment Scale. NRS-Filipino also demonstrated acceptable reliability and convergent validity. Among the variables purported to be associated with NR, community resilience, and political attitude came out as strong predictors.

Resilience and demographic characteristics predicting distress during the COVID-19 crisis

RATIONALE

Due to lack of vaccine or cure, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a threat to all human beings, undermining people's basic sense of safety and increasing distress symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the extent to which individual resilience, well-being and demographic characteristics may predict two indicators of Coronavirus pandemic: distress symptoms and perceived danger.

METHOD

Two independent samples were employed: 1) 605 respondents recruited through an internet panel company; 2) 741 respondents recruited through social media, using snowball sampling. Both samples filled a structured online questionnaire. Correlations between psychological/demographic variables and distress and perceived danger were examined. Path analysis was conducted to identify predictive indicators of distress and perceived danger.

RESULTS

Significant negative correlations were found between individual/community resilience and sense of danger (-0.220 and -0.255 respectively; p < .001) and distress symptoms (- 0.398 and -0.544 respectively; p < .001). Significant positive correlations were found between gender, community size, economic difficulties and sense of danger (0.192, 0.117 and 0.244 respectively; p < .001). Gender and economic difficulties also positively correlated with distress symptoms (0.130 and 0.214 respectively; p < .001). Path analysis revealed that all paths were significant (p < .008 to .001) except between family income and distress symptoms (p = .12). The seven predictors explained 20% of sense of danger variance and 34% the distress symptoms variance. The most highly predictive indicators were the two psychological characteristics, individual resilience, and well-being. Age, gender, community size, and economic difficulties due to COVID-19 further add to predicting distress, while community and national resilience do not. .

CONCLUSIONS

Individual resilience and well-being have been found as the first and foremost predictors of COVID-19 anxiety. Though both predictors are complex and may be influenced by many factors, given the potential return of COVID-19 threat and other future health pandemic threats to our world, we must rethink and develop ways to reinforce them.

A Renewed Outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study of Distress, Resilience, and Subjective Well-Being

Considering the potential impact of COVID-19 on the civil society, a longitudinal study was conducted to identify levels of distress, resilience, and the subjective well-being of the population. The study is based on two repeated measurements conducted at the end of the pandemic's "first wave" and the beginning of the "second wave" on a sample (n = 906) of Jewish Israeli respondents, who completed an online questionnaire distributed by an Internet panel company. Three groups of indicators were assessed: signs of distress (sense of danger, distress symptoms, and perceived threats), resilience (individual, community, and national), and subjective well-being (well-being, hope, and morale). Results indicated the following: (a) a significant increase in distress indicators, with effect sizes of sense of danger, distress symptoms, and perceived threats (Cohen's d 0.614, 0.120, and 0.248, respectively); (b) a significant decrease in resilience indicators, with effect sizes of individual, community, and national resilience (Cohen's d 0.153, 0.428, and 0.793, respectively); and (c) a significant decrease in subjective well-being indicators with effect sizes of well-being, hope, and morale (Cohen's d 0.116, 0.336, and 0.199, respectively). To conclude, COVID-19 had a severe, large-scale impact on the civil society, leading to multidimensional damage and a marked decrease in the individual, community, and national resilience of the population.

Health-Care Services as a Platform for Building Community Resilience among Minority Communities: An Israeli Pilot Study during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Background: Previous studies of minority groups in times of emergency have tended to focus on risk reduction or on individual resilience, overlooking the community factors that could be bolstered to promote better health and safety outcomes. The current study aimed to examine the role of health-care services in the perceived community resilience of urban and suburban Arab communities in Israel during the COVID-19 outbreak. Method: The study included 196 adults age 17–76 years, who filled out on-line questionnaires in May 2020; 112 participants lived in an urban community and 84 lived in a suburban community. Community resilience was evaluated using the Conjoint Community Resiliency Assessment Measure (CCRAM), a validated five-factor multidimensional instrument. Results: Residents of the suburban community reported higher community resilience than residents of the urban community. This difference was related to increased preparedness levels and strength of place attachment in the suburban community. Residents of suburban communities were also more satisfied and confident in health-care services than those of urban communities. Regression analysis showed that the satisfaction with primary health-care services, and not community type, significantly predicted community resilience. Conclusions: Our results support the pivotal role of primary health care in building community resilience of minority communities in times of emergency and routine.

Distress and Resilience in the Days of COVID-19: Comparing Two Ethnicities

The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing epidemic of coronavirus disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome, which has spread recently worldwide. Efforts to prevent the virus from spreading include travel restrictions, lockdowns as well as national or regional quarantines throughout the international community. The major negative psychological outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is the anxiety caused by it. The aim of the present study was to examine the level of concern and the contributions of modes of resilience, well-being and demographic attributes towards decreasing or enhancing anxiety and depression among two samples: Israeli Jews (majority group) and Israeli Arabs (minority group). These random samples included 605 Jews and 156 Arabs who participated in an internet survey. A previous study, which has been conducted in the context of terror attacks, has shown that compared to Israeli Jews, Israeli Arabs expressed a higher level of fear of war and lower levels of resilience supporting personality attributes. The results of the current study indicated a similar pattern that emerged in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: the Israeli Arabs reported a higher level of distress and a lower level of resilience and well-being.