The Effects of Perceived Community Cohesion on Stress Symptoms Following a Terrorist Attack

The mediating role of loneliness in the association between exposure to terror and psychological distress in older adults

Terror attacks are known to bear detrimental effects on psychological distress in children, adolescents and young adults, but less is known about their influence on older adults. There is also evidence for increased loneliness following stressful events, but less is known about the mediating role of loneliness on the relation between terror attacks and psychological distress. The present study investigated the relation between exposure to terror attacks and psychological distress in older adults, as well as the potential mediating role of loneliness. Data were collected from 686 older adults (Mage= 73.49, SD= 6.02, range=65-94), who provided information regarding exposure to terror, loneliness, and psychological distress. Exposure to terror was positively associated with loneliness, which was, in turn, positively associated with psychological distress. Moreover, the link between terror exposure and psychological distress was mediated by loneliness. Our findings demonstrate the relation between exposure to terror and psychological distress in old age and suggest that loneliness contributes to this association.

Mapping Individual, Relational, and Contextual Factors onto Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Resilience

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and resilience are two well-established outcomes following trauma exposure, but little work has examined the unique associations between these outcomes and factors across the social ecology. This theoretically grounded study assessed how individual, relational, and contextual social ecological factors relate to PTSS and resilience. Participants included 606 college students (18-25 years, M_age = 20.79, SD = 1.86; 82.51% Female; 56.60% White, 29.37% Black or African American, 5.78% Asian, 8.25% Other races) with exposure to at least one traumatic event. Two hierarchical linear regression models examined associations between individual (i.e., emotion dysregulation, anger severity), relational (i.e., family support, friend support), and contextual (i.e., community cohesion, community disorder) factors, and PTSS and resilience. At the individual level, higher emotion dysregulation was associated with higher PTSS and lower resilience; anger severity was not related to either outcome. At the relational level, more friend support was negatively associated with PTSS. Friend and family support were positively related to resilience. At the contextual level, community cohesion was positively associated with resilience, but not PTSS, and community disorder was unrelated to both outcomes. Findings demonstrate unique factors across the social ecology that differentially relate to PTSS and resilience. Variables at all three ecological levels were associated with resilience, whereas only individual and relational variables were related to PTSS. Replication with longitudinal data could inform treatments for trauma-exposed individuals that may mitigate PTSS and bolster resilience.

Mastery, Social Support, and Sense of Community as Protective Resources Against Psychological Distress Among Israelis Exposed to Prolonged Rocket Attacks

We investigated the psychological toll of exposure to rocket attacks as experienced by residents of central and southern Israel during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. Participants completed an online survey assessing their life-threatening experiences, the availability of psychosocial resources, and symptoms of both PTSD (PCL-5) and nonspecific psychological distress (K6) 2-3 months posttrauma. Guided by the conservation of resources theory, we focused on the distress-protective functions of person- and community-oriented resources: mastery, perceived social support, and sense of community. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that elevated exposure to rocket attacks predicted higher levels of PTSD but not psychological distress. All 13 predictors (i.e., sociodemographic factors, trauma exposure, personal and community resources) and three interactions between rocket attack-related trauma exposure and each of the resources accounted for a significant amount of the variance in PTSD, R² = .251, adjusted R² = .235, and nonspecific psychological distress, R² = .280, adjusted R² = .264. Predictably, higher levels of mastery and perceived social support were associated with lower PCL-5 and K6 scores. Unexpectedly, respondents who reported a higher sense of community exhibited more PTSD symptoms. Supplementary analyses indicated that among individuals with lower levels of mastery, sense of community was related to higher PCL-5 scores. Psychosocial resources are important for coping with community-wide stressors, but their roles are complex. Maintaining a sense of community among individuals who experience shared trauma is undoubtedly critical, yet potential downsides of collective coping among those with lower levels of mastery should be recognized and further investigated.

Engagement in community activities and trust in local leaders as concomitants of psychological distress among Israeli civilians exposed to prolonged rocket attacks

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Present study, conducted in the aftermath of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, investigated psychological toll of exposure to rockets attacks in a sample of residents of central and southern Israel. Analyses focused on the distress-protective functions of collectively grounded resources: engagement in community activities and trust in local leadership.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional study was conducted between 2 and 3 months after the hostilities.

METHOD

Participants (N = 764) were recruited by an online survey company that distributed a questionnaire assessing, in addition to focal predictors, sociodemographic factors and prior exposure to trauma. The outcome variables were post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and nonspecific distress symptoms.

RESULTS

Conservative regression analyses revealed that greater exposure to rocket attacks was predictive of higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Higher engagement in community activities exhibited a partial trauma-buffering function. However, higher levels of trust in local leaders appeared to exacerbate, rather than diminish, negative impact of rocket exposure on PTSD. Symptoms of psychological distress were not influenced neither by trauma exposure nor by stressor interactions with resources. Trust in local leadership exerted a beneficial main effect on distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively based resources are important for coping in times of community-wide stressors, yet their role is complex.

A Bioecological Model of Mass Trauma

Biopsychosocial consequences of catastrophic events create an ongoing need for research that examines the effects of mass traumas, developing psychosocial interventions, and advocacy to address the needs of affected individuals, systems, and communities. Because it is neither possible nor necessarily desirable to intervene with all touched by disasters at an individual level, a systems approach that allows conceptualization and response at the individual, family, community, and societal levels seems optimal. Many of the models commonly used in counseling psychology to explain coping with difficult events focus on individual effects and do not adequately capture the complex, multisystemic effects of large-scale catastrophic events and disasters. A bioecological model of mass trauma, which provides a conceptual framework for understanding the effects, intervening in the aftermath, addressing prevention, and researching aspects of large-scale disasters, catastrophes, and mass traumas, is presented. Relevant literature and illustrative examples from three categories of mass traumas or catastrophic events (disasters, war, and terrorism or violence) that currently contribute to a persistent atmosphere of stress for many are reviewed using the bioecological model. Recommendations for future research are provided.