Skip to main content
Log in

A Nation's response to attack: Israelis' depressive reactions to the Gulf War

  • Published:
Journal of Traumatic Stress

Abstract

We examined Israelis' reactions to the Gulf War and SCUD missile attacks. Four national samples of Israelis (n=3,204) were interviewed as to depressive mood on four occasions—prior to the Gulf Crisis, as the war approached, during the SCUD missile attacks, and after cessation of hostilities. There was an expected increase in depressive mood during the period of SCUD missile attacks and a quick return to base-line levels following the hostilities. Less educated and older individuals reported higher base-line levels of depressive mood and were at higher risk for clinical depression. Women and men did not differ in depressive mood before or after the SCUD missile attacks. However, women experienced a marked increase in depressive mood when the SCUD missile attacks occurred.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Affleck, G., Tennen, H., Pfeiffer, C., and Fifield, J. (1987). Appraisals of control and predictability in adapting to a chronic disease.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 53: 273–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aldwin, C. M., Levenson, M. R., Spiro, A., III., and Bosse, R. (1989). Does emotionality predict stress? Findings from the normative aging study.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 56: 618–624.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum, A., Fleming, R., and Singer, J. E. (1983). Coping with victimization by technological disaster.J. Social Issues 39: 117–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody, E. (1990).Women in the Middle: Their Parent Years, Springer, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christenfeld, R., Lubin, B., and Satin, M. (1978). Concurrent validity of the Depression Adjective Check List in a normal population.Am. J. Psychiatry 135(5): 582–584.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, T. D., and Campbell, D. T. (1979).Quasi-Experimentation: Design and Analysis Issues for Field Settings, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyne, J. C (1976). Toward an interactional description of depression.Psychiatry 39: 28–40.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Finley-Jones, R. (1981). Showing that life events are a cause of depression-a review.Austr. New Zeal. J. Psychiat. 15: 229–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finley-Jones, R., and Brown, G. (1981). Types of stressful life events and the onset of anxiety and depressive disorders.Psychol. Med. 11: 803–815.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberger, L., and Breznitz, S. (1993).The Handbook of Stress: Theoretical and Clinical Aspects (second edition), Free Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Green, B. L., Lindy, J. D., Grace, M. C., Gleser, G. C., Leonard, A. C., Korol, M., and Winget, C. (1990). Buffalo Creek survivors in the second decade: Stability of stress symptoms.Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 60: 43–54.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E. (1991). Gender differences in stress reactions: Women filling the gaps.Psychol. Health, 5: 95–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E. (1991). Traumatic stress: A theory based on rapid loss of resources.Anx. Res. Int. J. 4: 187–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E., Lomranz, J., Eyal, N., Bridges, A., and Tzemach, M. (1989). Pulse of a nation: Depressive mood reactions of Israelis to the Israel-Lebanon war.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 56: 1002–1012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E., and London, P. (1986). The relationship of self-concept and social support to emotional distress among women during war.J. Social Clinical Psychol. 57: 296–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E., London, P., and Orr, E. (1988). Mastery, intimacy, and stress resistance during war.J. Commun. Psychol. 16: 317–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobfoll, S. E., and Walfisch, S. (1986). Stressful events, mastery, and depression: An evaluation of crisis theory.J. Commun. Psychol. 14: 183–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, E. H. (1990).The Deadly Emotions: The Role of Anger, Hostility, and Aggression in Health and Emotional Well-being, Praeger, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Mcleod, J. D., and Wethington, E. (1985). The costs of caring: A perspective on the relationship between sex and psychological distress. In Sarason, I. G., and Sarason, B. R. (eds.),Social Support: Theory, Research, and Applications, Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, The Netherlands, pp. 491–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Turner, J. B., and House, J. S. (1989). Unemployment, reemployment, and emotional functioning in a community sample.Am. Sociological Rev. 54: 648–657.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobasa, S. C., Maddi, S. R., and Courington, S. (1981). Personality and constitution as mediators in the stress-illness relationship.J. Health Social Behav. 22: 368–378.

    Google Scholar 

  • Landau, S. F. (1990). Subjective social stress indicators and the level of reported psychopathology: The case of Israel.Am. J. Commun. Psychol. 18: 19–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, E. E., and Lubin, B. (1975).Depression: Concepts, Controversies and Some New Facts, Springer, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, E. E., Lubin, B., and Brooks, J. M. (1983).Depression: Concepts, Controversies, and Some New Facts (second edition), Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lomranz, J., Lubin, B., Eyal, N., and Medini, G. (1981). A Hebrew version of the Depression Adjective Check Lists.J. Personal. Assess. 45: 380–384.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lubin, B. (1967).Depression Adjective Check Lists: Manual, Educational and Industrial Testing Service, San Diego, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lubin, B., and Himelstein, P. (1976). Reliability of the Depression Adjective Check List.Percep. Motor Skills 43: 1037–1038.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milgram, N. A. (Ed.). (1986).Stress and Coping in Time of War, Brunner/Mazel, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirowsky, J., and Ross, C. E. (1989).Social Causes of Psychological Distress, Aldine de Gruyter, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population.App. Psychol. Meas. 1: 385–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, H. T. (1977).The Analysis of Cross-Classification, Free Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossi, P. H., Wright, J. D., Weber-Burdin, E., and Perina, J. (1983). Victimization by natural hazards in the United States, 1970–1980; survey estimates.Int. J. Mass Emerg. Dis. 1: 467–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schroeder, F. H., and Costa, P. T. (1984). Influence of life event stress on physical illness: Substantive effects of methodological flaws.J. Pers. Social Psychol. 46: 853–863.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, S. D. (1989). Research issues in assessing disaster's effects. In Gist, R., and Lubin, B. (eds.),Psychological Aspects of Disaster, Wiley, New York. pp. 308–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., and Lushene, R. E. (1970).STAI Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Consulting Psychological Press, Palo Alto, CA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. (1983). Adjustment to threatening events: A theory of cognitive adaptation.Am. Psychol. 38: 1161–1173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., and Pennebaker, J. W. (1989). Health complaints, stress, and distress: Exploring the central role of negative affectivity.Psychol Rev. 96: 234–254.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

About this article

Cite this article

Lomranz, J., Hobfoll, S.E., Johnson, R. et al. A Nation's response to attack: Israelis' depressive reactions to the Gulf War. J Trauma Stress 7, 59–73 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02111912

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02111912

Key words

Navigation