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Zahava Solomon

Publications and source records attributed to Zahava Solomon.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

World assumptions and combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

The authors examined the association between (a) personal world assumptions and (b) combat stress reactions (CSRs), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and PTSD's course among three groups of Israeli veterans: 109 veterans who suffered from CSR on the battlefield, 98 decorated veterans, and 189 control participants. Participants completed standardized questionnaires that measured PTSD and world assumption. Both CSR and chronic PTSD were associated with lower levels of self-worth and beliefs about the benevolence of people. In addition, the authors found a linear association between self-worth perceptions and levels of mental status. The authors examined the results of the study considering the extraordinary characteristics and meaning of war.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2004

The contribution of social disability to the evaluation of mental disability among PTSD veterans.

BACKGROUND: Israeli veterans who claim for recognition of their mental disability and compensation undergo multi-professional assessments including a detailed psychosocial evaluation. OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic evaluation of the social disabilities of veterans with PTSD; to examine the relationships between the various aspects of their social disability and their PTSD symptom severity, on the one hand, and the ratings they receive from psychiatrists determining their overall disability, on the other hand. METHOD: The study was conducted on 120 veterans with PTSD, all filing for compensation. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews that were carried out by social workers in ajoint meeting with the veterans and their spouses and that covered marital, parental and social functioning; from the self-report PTSD questionnaire that the veterans filled out; and from the final disability ratings in the veterans' files. RESULTS: Findings showed a disturbing picture of impaired marital, parental and social functioning of veterans with PTSD. In addition, they indicate that both PTSD severity and the psychiatrists' disability ratings were correlated with only a quarter or so of the veterans' specific social disabilities in the areas studied. DISCUSSION: Several explanations for the pattern of correlations between these two assessments are offered. In addition, we highlight the importance of a sensitive and detailed evaluation of social disability as well as recommending the development of practical guidelines for the determination of disability.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Evaluation of psychiatric disability in PTSD of military origin.

BACKGROUND: Israeli veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) filed claims for recognition of their mental disability and for compensation underwent thorough psychiatric evaluations conducted by an interdisciplinary team. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features and functional impairment of PTSD veterans who filed claims for psychiatric disability. To evaluate possible relationships among severity of PTSD, psychiatric comorbidity and level of disability. METHOD: Subjects were 294 veterans with PTSD. Evaluation included a semi-structured psychiatric interview; self report questionnaires of PTSD, psychiatric symptoms and assessment of functional impairments (in self-care in daily living, interpersonal--familial and social, and occupational functioning). Upon completion of the various assessments the psychiatrist determined a global disability score. RESULTS: 156/294 (53%) of the PTSD subjects had psychiatric comorbidity, mainly depression (31%) and anxiety (15%). PTSD casualties suffered significant functional impairments, more in occupational functioning than interpersonal and activities of daily living, respectively. A number of PTSD symptoms were positively correlated with functional impairments in the occupational and interpersonal areas and with the global disability score, while psychiatric comorbidity was not. CONCLUSION: PTSD veterans who file for psychiatric disability report severe mental distress and functional impairment, and probably constitute the more severe PTSD casualties. Systematic assessment of functional impairment in addition to clinical examination is needed for valid evaluation of disability and for determining disability score.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2003

Exposure to terrorism, stress-related mental health symptoms, and coping behaviors among a nationally representative sample in Israel.

CONTEXT: The terrorist attacks on Israeli society have been ongoing since September 2000. However, few studies have examined the impact of terrorism on nationally representative population samples, and no study has examined the psychological impact of ongoing terrorism in Israel. OBJECTIVES: To determine the level of exposure to terrorist attacks and the prevalence of traumatic stress-related (TSR) symptoms, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sense of safety after 19 months of terrorism in Israel, and to identify correlates of the psychological sequelae and the modes of coping with the terrorism. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Telephone survey conducted April-May 2002, using a strata sampling method, of 902 eligible households and a representative sample of 742 Israeli residents older than 18 years (82% contact rate) and a final participation of 512 (57%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of TSR symptoms, rates of those with symptom criteria for PTSD and acute stress disorder assessed by the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire, self-reported feelings of depression, optimism, sense of safety, help-seeking, and modes of coping. RESULTS: Of 512 survey participants, 84 (16.4%) had been directly exposed to a terrorist attack and 191 (37.3%) had a family member or friend who had been exposed. Of 510 participants who responded to questions about TSR symptoms, 391 (76.7%) had at least 1 TSR symptom (mean, 4.0 [SD, 4.5]; range, 0-23; mean intensity, 0.8; range, 0-4). Symptom criteria for PTSD were met by 48 participants (9.4%) and criteria for acute stress disorder, by 1 participant; 299 (58.6%) reported feeling depressed. The majority of respondents expressed optimism about their personal future (421/512 [82.2%]) and the future of Israel (307/509 [66.8%]), and expressed self-efficacy with regard to their ability to function in a terrorist attack (322/431 [74.6%]). Most expressed a low sense of safety with respect to themselves (307/509 [60.4%]) and their relatives (345/507 [67.9%]). Few reported a need for professional help (27/506 [5.3%]). Female sex, sense of safety, and use of tranquilizers, alcohol, and cigarettes to cope were associated with TSR symptoms and symptom criteria for PTSD; level of exposure and objective risk were not. The most prevalent coping mechanisms were active information search about loved ones and social support. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the nature and length of the Israeli traumatic experience, the psychological impact may be considered moderate. Although the survey participants showed distress and lowered sense of safety, they did not develop high levels of psychiatric distress, which may be related to a habituation process and to coping mechanisms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and fear of intimacy among treated and non-treated survivors who were children during the Holocaust.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the longterm consequences of the Holocaust on child survivors as implicated in PTSD residues and fears of intimacy. METHOD: Participants were 43 Holocaust child survivors who received psychotherapy, 48 participants who also went through the Holocaust as children, but did not receive psychotherapy, and 43 Israeli-born participants who did not directly experience the Holocaust. Data regarding PTSD, fear of intimacy, and exposure-related variables were gathered via standardized self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: The findings show that both treated and non-treated survivors reported significantly higher levels of post-traumatic residues than the non-Holocaust controls, while the treated survivors reported higher levels than the non-treated ones. Treated survivors also differed from the other two groups in their levels of fear of intimacy. In addition, survivors who had been in concentration camps reported significantly more PTSD symptoms than survivors who had been in hiding. Two alternative interpretations are offered. No differences were found in the fear of intimacy of those who survived in the different settings. CONCLUSIONS: The findings point to the long-lasting impact of the Holocaust experience on child survivors, although they also demonstrate wide variability in survivors' long-term adjustment that should be further explored.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed2003

Predictors of bereaved parents' satisfaction with group support: an Israeli perspective.

This study evaluates various aspects of group work with bereaved parents who lost a child during military service. More specifically, it assesses the unique and cumulative contributions of various features of group work to the participants' satisfaction with the group support. One hundred and thirty-eight bereaved parents, who participated in 16 support groups, answered a battery of questionnaires tapping 3 aspects of the group work: their motives for joining the group, the interpersonal relations among the group members, and the group leadership style. In addition, the participants were asked to evaluate the contribution of the intervention to their adjustment. The findings indicate that the supportive elements of the intervention were associated with the groups' perceived contribution. The clinical implications of these results are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder following myocardial infarction: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following myocardial infarction (MI). More specifically, it has 2 aims: (1) to examine whether the trajectory of PTSD is predicted by level of threat and the nature of initial reactions and (2) to examine the associations between the trajectory of PTSD and anxiety, somatization, health-related quality of life, and hospitalization 7 months following MI. METHOD: 116 MI patients were examined twice. At time 1, within a week of the patient's MI, acute stress disorder (ASD) was assessed and medical measures were obtained from patients' hospital records. At time 2, 7 months later, PTSD, anxiety, physical residuals, and health-related quality of life were assessed. Data were gathered in 1999. RESULTS: Six percent of the respondents had both ASD and PTSD, 10% did not have ASD but did have PTSD, and 12% had ASD but not PTSD. The trajectory of PTSD was associated with severity of anxiety, somatic complaints, and health-related quality of life. In addition, while the severity of MI did not predict the trajectory of PTSD, the perceived severity did. Patients without PTSD but with prior ASD did not differ in their initial reactions from those without ASD. CONCLUSION: These findings provide support for the considerable variability in the trajectory of the development of PTSD and suggest that although ASD is associated with subsequent PTSD, the predictive role of initial reactions is limited.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Long-term coping of Holocaust survivors: a typology.

BACKGROUND: The nature of long-range impairment resulting from exposure to the atrocities of the Holocaust has been studied extensively. Some survivors reported a high level of psychological distress, while others, who were exposed to similar experiences, reported little, if any, symptoms. The present study aimed to validate Danieli's (1-3) typology of differentiated patterns of long-term coping and adaptation among Holocaust survivors in an Israeli sample. METHOD: A sample of 150 Holocaust survivors participated in this study. Data were gathered as part of a larger study that assessed long-term coping styles of elderly Holocaust survivors when confronted with another life-threatening event, namely cancer. RESULTS: The results point to the heterogeneous coping styles of Holocaust survivors and enable the formulation of a Survivor's Typology describing three types of adaptation: The "Victim," the "Fighter" and "Those Who Made It." The "Victim" type was found to be the most vulnerable. The "Fighter" and "Those Who Made It" types, who comprised over 80% of the sample, reported successful adaptation in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Repressive coping style, acute stress disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder after myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: The study examined the associations between repressive coping style, acute stress disorder (ASD) and subsequent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after myocardial infarction (MI) to ascertain the efficacy of repressive coping style in immediate and long-term adjustment to stress. METHODS: A total of 116 MI patients were examined twice: within a week of their MI (time 1) and 7 months later (time 2). At time 1, repressive coping style, perceived threat, and ASD were measured by self-report questionnaires. In addition, medical measures indicative of the severity of the MI were obtained from patients' hospital records. At time 2, PTSD was assessed. The distribution of the repressive coping style was compared with that of 72 matched control subjects. RESULTS: Findings revealed the adaptiveness of repressive coping style both in the immediate and longer-term aftermath of MI: repressors endorsed less ASD and PTSD than nonrepressors. In addition, the contribution of repressive coping style to PTSD was unique and beyond the implications of severity of MI, perceived threat, and immediate ASD. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the role of repressive coping style as a stress-buffer; several mechanisms that explain this role are suggested.

Adaptation, Psychological↗