Have Coping Resources and Trust in State Institutions Helped Jews and Arabs to Overcome Stress During the Iron Swords War?
The events of 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Iron Swords War have profoundly impacted Israeli society, leaving both Jewish and Arab populations exposed to unprecedented levels of violence and uncertainty. This study examined the roles of trust in state institutions and a sense of coherence (SOC)...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/15/4/59 |
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| author | Orna Braun-Lewensohn Tehila Kalagy Sarah Abu-Kaf |
| author_facet | Orna Braun-Lewensohn Tehila Kalagy Sarah Abu-Kaf |
| author_sort | Orna Braun-Lewensohn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The events of 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Iron Swords War have profoundly impacted Israeli society, leaving both Jewish and Arab populations exposed to unprecedented levels of violence and uncertainty. This study examined the roles of trust in state institutions and a sense of coherence (SOC) as coping resources that may mitigate psychological distress following exposure to such events. Four hundred and seventy-one participants (69.9% Jewish, 30.1% Arab) filled out a questionnaire that addressed the demographics, war exposure, trust in institutions, SOC, and mental-health outcomes. The Jewish participants reported greater exposure to war events, a stronger SOC, and less psychological distress than the Arab participants. Levels of trust in different institutions varied significantly between the groups, with Jews expressing greater trust in the military and Arabs reporting higher levels of trust in the parliament, educational system, and media. SOC protected against psychological distress among both groups. Trust in the military was associated with lower levels of distress among Jews, whereas trust in the parliament was linked to higher levels of distress among Arabs. This study highlights the need for tailored interventions that enhance the SOC and address disparities in institutional trust, to foster resilience among different sociocultural groups. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2c326df5afc4432aac74ab802c873d0e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2174-8144 2254-9625 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-2c326df5afc4432aac74ab802c873d0e2025-08-20T02:28:20ZengMDPI AGEuropean Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education2174-81442254-96252025-04-011545910.3390/ejihpe15040059Have Coping Resources and Trust in State Institutions Helped Jews and Arabs to Overcome Stress During the Iron Swords War?Orna Braun-Lewensohn0Tehila Kalagy1Sarah Abu-Kaf2Conflict Management & Resolution Program, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Public Policy & Administration, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, IsraelConflict Management & Resolution Program, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, IsraelThe events of 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Iron Swords War have profoundly impacted Israeli society, leaving both Jewish and Arab populations exposed to unprecedented levels of violence and uncertainty. This study examined the roles of trust in state institutions and a sense of coherence (SOC) as coping resources that may mitigate psychological distress following exposure to such events. Four hundred and seventy-one participants (69.9% Jewish, 30.1% Arab) filled out a questionnaire that addressed the demographics, war exposure, trust in institutions, SOC, and mental-health outcomes. The Jewish participants reported greater exposure to war events, a stronger SOC, and less psychological distress than the Arab participants. Levels of trust in different institutions varied significantly between the groups, with Jews expressing greater trust in the military and Arabs reporting higher levels of trust in the parliament, educational system, and media. SOC protected against psychological distress among both groups. Trust in the military was associated with lower levels of distress among Jews, whereas trust in the parliament was linked to higher levels of distress among Arabs. This study highlights the need for tailored interventions that enhance the SOC and address disparities in institutional trust, to foster resilience among different sociocultural groups.https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/15/4/59coping resourcestrust in state institutionsJews and Arabspsychological distresswar |
| spellingShingle | Orna Braun-Lewensohn Tehila Kalagy Sarah Abu-Kaf Have Coping Resources and Trust in State Institutions Helped Jews and Arabs to Overcome Stress During the Iron Swords War? European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education coping resources trust in state institutions Jews and Arabs psychological distress war |
| title | Have Coping Resources and Trust in State Institutions Helped Jews and Arabs to Overcome Stress During the Iron Swords War? |
| title_full | Have Coping Resources and Trust in State Institutions Helped Jews and Arabs to Overcome Stress During the Iron Swords War? |
| title_fullStr | Have Coping Resources and Trust in State Institutions Helped Jews and Arabs to Overcome Stress During the Iron Swords War? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Have Coping Resources and Trust in State Institutions Helped Jews and Arabs to Overcome Stress During the Iron Swords War? |
| title_short | Have Coping Resources and Trust in State Institutions Helped Jews and Arabs to Overcome Stress During the Iron Swords War? |
| title_sort | have coping resources and trust in state institutions helped jews and arabs to overcome stress during the iron swords war |
| topic | coping resources trust in state institutions Jews and Arabs psychological distress war |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/15/4/59 |
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