Abstract
Long-term tele-counseling can potentially be a potent intervention mode in war- and terror-related community crisis situations. We aimed to examine a unique long-term telephone-administered intervention, targeting community trauma-related crisis situations by use of various techniques and approaches. 142 participants were evaluated using a non-intrusive by-proxy methodology appraising counselors’ standard verbatim reports. Various background measures and elements in the intervention were quantitatively assessed, along with symptomatology and functioning at the onset and end of intervention. About 1/4 of the wide variety of clients called for someone else in addition to themselves, and most called due to a past event rather than a present crisis situation. The intervention successfully reduced posttraumatic stress symptoms and improved functioning. Most interventions included psychosocial education with additional elements, e.g., self-help tools, and almost 60 % included also in-depth processes. In sum, tele-counseling might be a viable and effective intervention model for community-related traumatic stress.
References
Al-Krenawi, A., Graham, J. R., & Fakher-Aldin, M. (2003). Telephone counseling: A comparison of Arab and Jewish Israeli usage. International Social Work, 46(4), 495–509. doi:10.1177/0020872803464006.
Ben-Ari, A., & Azaiza, F. (2003). Effectiveness of help lines among sociopolitical minorities: A view from both sides of the line. Families in Society, 84(3), 417–422. doi:10.1606/1044-3894.108.
Berger, R., & Gelkopf, M. (2009). School-based intervention for the treatment of tsunami-related distress in children: A quasi-randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 78, 364–371. doi:10.1159/000235976.
Diab, S., & Sandler-Leff, A. (2011). Mental health and mentally disabled people in the Arab society in Israel. {in Hebrew}. Joint Israel publication. Retrieved from: http://www2.jdc.org.il/files/disability/publications/NifgaeiNefesh.pdf.
Fischer, E. H., & Turner, J. L. (1970). Orientations to seeking professional help: Development and research utility of an attitude scale. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 35(1), 79–90. doi:10.1037/h0029636.
Gelkopf, M., Berger, R., Bleich, A., & Silver, R. C. (2012). Protective factors and predictors of vulnerability to chronic stress: A comparative study of 4 communities after 7 years of continuous rocket fire. Social Science and Medicine, 74, 757–766. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.10.022.
Gelkopf, M., Hasson-Ohayon, I., Bikman, M., & Kravetz, S. (2013a). Nature adventure rehabilitation for combat-related posttraumatic chronic stress disorder: A randomized control trial. Psychiatry Research, 209(3), 485–493. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.01.026.
Gelkopf, M., Solomon, Z., Berger, R., & Bleich, A. (2008). The mental health impact of terrorism on the Arab minority in Israel. A repeat cross-sectional study of Arabs and Jews. Acta Psychiatria Scandinavica, 117, 269–380. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01164.x.
Gelkopf, M., Solomon, Z., & Bleich, A. (2013b). A longitudinal study of changes in psychological responses to continuous terrorism. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, 50(2), 100–109. Retrieved from http://young.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/06_A-Longitudinal-Study.pdf.
Gilat, I., & Latzer, Y. (2007). Characteristics of calls to the Israeli hotline during the Intifada. Community Mental Health Journal, 43(4), 401–420. doi:10.1007/s10597-007-9085-8.
Gilat, I., Lobel, T. E., & Gil, T. (1998). Characteristics of calls to Israeli hotlines during the Gulf war. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26(5), 697–704. doi:10.1023/A:1022146130836.
Gil-Rivas, V., Silver, R. C., Holman, A. E., McIntosh, D., & Poulin, M. (2007). Parental response and adolescent adjustment to the September, 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 20(6), 1038–1063. doi:10.1002/jts.
Glover, H., Pelesky, C. A., Bruno, R., & Sette, R. (1990). Post-traumatic stress disorder conflicts in Vietnam combat veterans: A confirmatory factor analytic study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3, 573–591. doi:10.1002/jts.2490030408.
Gould, M. S., Kalafat, J. H., Munfakh, J. L., & Kleinman, M. (2007). An evaluation of crisis hotline outcomes part 2: Suicidal callers. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 37(3), 338–352. doi:10.1521/suli.2007.37.3.338.
Grand, S. (2000). The reproduction of evil: A clinical and cultural perspective. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press.
Haimov, S. (2005). Telephone interventions after terror attacks. In E. Somer & A. Bleich (Eds.), Mental health in the shadow of terror: The Israeli experience (pp. 123–129). Tel Aviv: Ramot. In Hebrew.
Hemenover, S. H. (2003). The good, the bad, and the healthy: Impacts of emotional disclosure of trauma on resilient self-concept and psychological distress. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29, 1236–1244. doi:10.1177/0146167203255228.
Herman, J.L. (1994). Trauma and Recovery. (A. Zilber trans). Tel Aviv: Am Oved.
Hilty, D. M., Ferrer, D. C., Burke-Parish, M., Johnston, B., Callahan, E. J., & Yellowlees, P. M. (2013). The effectiveness of telemental health: A review. Telemedicine & E-health, 19(6), 444–454. doi:10.1089/tmj.2013.0075.
Hugo, P., Segwick, P., Black, A., & Lacey, H. (1999). Telephone counseling—The EDA approach. European Eating Disorders Review, 7, 300–309. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-0968(199908)7:4<300:AID-ERV279>3.0.CO;2-P.
Hunkeler, E. M., Meresman, J. F., Hargreaves, W. A., Fireman, B., Berman, W. H., Kirsch, A. J., et al. (2000). Efficacy of nurse telehealth care and peer support in augmenting treatment of depressing in primary care. Archives of Family Medicine, 9, 700–708.
Israel bureau of Statistics (2008). Israel bureau of Statistics census 2008. (Israel bureau of Statistics publication). Retrieved from: http://www.cbs.gov.il/www/mifkad/mifkad_2008/profiles/rep_h_000000.pdf.
Kalafat, J. H., Gould, M. S., Munfakh, J. L., & Kleinman, M. (2007). An evaluation of crisis hotline outcomes part 1: Non-suicidal crisis callers. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 37(3), 322–337. doi:10.1521/suli.2007.37.3.322.
Laszlo, J. V., Esterman, G., & Zabko, S. (1999). Therapy over the internet? Theory, research and finances. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 2(4), 293–307. doi:10.1089/cpb.1999.2.293.
Leach, L. S., & Christensen, H. (2006). A systematic review of telephone-based interventions for mental disorders. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 12(3), 122–129. doi:10.1258/135763306776738558.
Lester, D. (2012). Counseling by telephone: An overview. In D. Lester & J. R. Rogers (Eds.), Crisis intervention and counseling by telephone and the internet (3rd ed.). Illinois: Charles Thomas.
Makler, S., Sigal, M., Gelkopf, M., Kochba, B. B., & Horeb, E. (1990). Combat-related, chronic posttraumatic stress disorder: Implications for group-therapy intervention. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 44(3), 381–395.
Miller, K. E., & Rasmussen, A. (2010). War exposure, daily stressors, and mental health in conflict and post-conflict settings: Bridging the divide between trauma-focused and psychosocial frameworks. Social Science and Medicine, 70, 7–16. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.09.029.
Pietrzak, R. A., Johnson, D. C., Goldstein, M. B., Malley, J. C., & Southwick, S. M. (2009). Perceived stigma and barriers to mental health care utilization among OEF–OIF veterans. Psychiatric Services, 60(8), 1118–1122. doi:10.1176/appi.ps.60.8.1118.
Porter, L. S., Astacio, M., & Sobong, L. C. (1997). Telephone hotline assessment and counselling of suicidal military service veterans in the USA. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(4), 716–722. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9354983.
Richman, S. (2006). Finding one’s voice: Transforming trauma into autobiographical narrative. Contemporary Psychoanalysis, 42, 639–650. doi:10.1080/00107530.2006.10747136.
Riemer-Riess, M. L. (2000). Utilizing distance technology for mental health counseling. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 22(3), 189–203.
Sloan, D. M., Gallagher, M. W., Feinstein, B. A., Lee, D. J., & Pruneau, G. M. (2011). Efficacy of telehealth treatments for posttraumatic stress-related symptoms: A meta-analysis. Cognitive Behavior Therapy, 40(2), 111–125. doi:10.1080/16506073.2010.550058.
Somer, E., Tamir, E., Maguen, S., & Litz, B. T. (2005). Brief cognitive-behavioral phone-based intervention targeting anxiety about the threat of attack: A pilot study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 43, 669–679. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2004.05.006.
Swinson, R. P., Fergus, K. D., Cox, B. J., & Wickwire, K. (1995). Efficacy of telephone-administered behavioral therapy for panic disorder with agoraphobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(4), 465–469. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(94)00061-N.
Weathers, F. W., & Ford, J. (1996). Psychometric properties of the PTSD checklist (PCL-C, PCL-S, PCL-M, PCL-PR). In B. H. Stamm (Ed.), Measurement of stress, trauma, and adaptation. Baltimore, MD: The Sidran Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gelkopf, M., Haimov, S. & Lapid, L. A Community Long-Term Hotline Therapeutic Intervention Model for Coping with the Threat and Trauma of War and Terror. Community Ment Health J 51, 249–255 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9786-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-014-9786-8