Academic Journal

Trends in PTSD Among IDF Soldiers in Combat Over the Years: A Representative Cohort Study.

Λεπτομέρειες βιβλιογραφικής εγγραφής
Τίτλος: Trends in PTSD Among IDF Soldiers in Combat Over the Years: A Representative Cohort Study.
Συγγραφείς: Bechor U; Center for Mental Health Services and Mental Resilience, Israel Defense Forces-Medical Corps, Ramat Gan, Israel.; The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel., Shacham M; Center for Mental Health Services and Mental Resilience, Israel Defense Forces-Medical Corps, Ramat Gan, Israel.; The Bob Shapell Scholl of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel., Kedem R; Center for Mental Health Services and Mental Resilience, Israel Defense Forces-Medical Corps, Ramat Gan, Israel., Rotschield J; Center for Mental Health Services and Mental Resilience, Israel Defense Forces-Medical Corps, Ramat Gan, Israel.; Department of Military Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel., Shelef L; Center for Mental Health Services and Mental Resilience, Israel Defense Forces-Medical Corps, Ramat Gan, Israel.; The School of Social Work, Sapir College, Ashkelon, Israel.
Πηγή: International journal of psychology : Journal international de psychologie [Int J Psychol] 2026 Aug; Vol. 61 (4), pp. e70227.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 0107305 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1464-066X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00207594 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Psychol Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: 2014- : Chichester : Wiley
Original Publication: 1966-<1978>: Paris : Dunod
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*/epidemiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*/psychology , Military Personnel*/psychology , Military Personnel*/statistics & numerical data , Combat Disorders*/epidemiology , Combat Disorders*/psychology , Veterans*/psychology , Veterans*/statistics & numerical data, Israel/epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Cohort Studies
Περίληψη: This study aims to analyse trends in PTSD over time among combat veterans who participated in war or major military operations. This retrospective cohort study included 4376 veterans (4027 males; 97.9%) of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) who sought assistance from the army's Combat Stress Reactions Unit (CSRU) between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2024. Background and service data were obtained from CSRU electronic records, along with PTSD self-report questionnaires (PTSD Checklist [PCL-5]). We found PTSD levels lowest during two specific periods of major warfare: 2014 (average score 38.9, SD = 20.15) and 2024 (average score 36.8, SD = 18.13). Conversely, between 2015 and October 2023, years with intermittent lower-intensity military operations, levels were higher, ranging from 43.0 (SD = 18.59) to 50.1 (SD = 17.72). Data analysis also highlights a significant increase in applications to the CSRU from 2014 onward. This continued in 2024, with 703 soldiers (16.1% of sample) applying to the unit-the highest number in a single year. PTSD levels were neither higher nor consistent in times of intense warfare. The relatively low levels of PTSD recorded during these times suggest complex factors influence PTSD development, beyond time since exposure to traumatic events.
(© 2026 International Union of Psychological Science.)
References: American Psychiatric Association (APA). 2013. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM‐5). American Psychiatric Pub.
Andrews, B., C. R. Brewin, L. Stewart, R. Philpott, and J. Hejdenberg. 2009. “Comparison of Immediate‐Onset and Delayed‐Onset Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military Veterans.” Journal of Abnormal Psychology 118, no. 4: 767–777. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017203.
Baziliansky, S., and W. Sowan. 2025. “Acute Stress Disorder in Israeli Civilians in Reaction to the 7 October War.” Stress and Health 41, no. 2: e70024. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70024.
Bonanno, G. A., C. R. Brewin, K. Kaniasty, and A. M. L. Greca. 2010. “Weighing the Costs of Disaster: Consequences, Risks, and Resilience in Individuals, Families, and Communities.” Psychological Science in the Public Interest 11, no. 1: 1–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100610387086.
Bonde, J. P. E., J. H. Jensen, G. E. Smid, et al. 2022. “Time Course of Symptoms in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Delayed Expression: A Systematic Review.” Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 145, no. 2: 116–131. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.13372.
Bovin, M. J., B. P. Marx, F. W. Weathers, et al. 2016. “Psychometric Properties of the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–Fifth Edition (PCL‐5) in Veterans.” Psychological Assessment 28, no. 11: 1379–1391. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000254.
Brier, Z. M. F., J. Connor, A. C. Legrand, and M. Price. 2020. “Different Trajectories of PTSD Symptoms During the Acute Post‐Trauma Period.” Journal of Psychiatric Research 131: 127–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.08.037.
Bryant, R. A., M. L. O'Donnell, M. Creamer, A. C. McFarlane, and D. Silove. 2013. “A Multisite Analysis of the Fluctuating Course of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.” JAMA Psychiatry 70, no. 8: 839–846. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.1137.
Eshel, Y., H. Marciano, S. Kimhi, A. Kaim, M. S. Tov, and B. Adini. 2025. “National Resilience Rise Following the Hamas Invasion of Southern Israel as an Indicator of Collective Post‐Traumatic Growth.” International Journal of Intercultural Relations 105: 102130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.102130.
Fikretoglu, D., and A. Liu. 2012. “Prevalence, Correlates, and Clinical Features of Delayed‐Onset Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a Nationally Representative Military Sample.” Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 47, no. 8: 1359–1366. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127‐011‐0444‐y.
Greene, T., M. Gelkopf, S. Grinapol, N. Werbeloff, E. Carlson, and L. Lapid. 2017. “Trajectories of Traumatic Stress Symptoms During Conflict: A Latent Class Growth Analysis.” Journal of Affective Disorders 220: 24–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.036.
Grover, L. E., C. Williamson, H. Burdett, L. Palmer, and N. T. Fear. 2024. “Level of Perceived Social Support, and Associated Factors, in Combat‐Exposed (Ex‐) Military Personnel: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis.” Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 59, no. 12: 2119–2143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127‐024‐02685‐3.
Hoge, C. W., L. A. Riviere, J. E. Wilk, R. K. Herrell, and F. W. Weathers. 2014. “The Prevalence of Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in US Combat Soldiers: A Head‐To‐Head Comparison of DSM‐5 Versus DSM‐IV‐TR Symptom Criteria With the PTSD Checklist.” Lancet Psychiatry 1, no. 4: 269–277.
Koffman, J., J. Gross, S. N. Etkind, and L. Selman. 2020. “Uncertainty and COVID‐19: How Are We to Respond?” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 113, no. 6: 211–216. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076820930665.
Levi, O., E. Fruchter, M. Weiser, D. S. Pine, Y. Kreiss, and Y. Bar‐Haim. 2018. “Treatment Seeking for Posttraumatic Stress in Israel Defense Forces Veterans Deployed in the 2006 Israel‐Hezbollah War: A 7‐Year Post‐War Follow‐Up.” Israel Journal of Psychiatry 55, no. 2: 4–9.
Levi‐Belz, Y., Y. Groweiss, C. Blank, and Y. Neria. 2024. “PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety After the October 7, 2023 Attack in Israel: A Nationwide Prospective Study.” EClinicalMedicine 68: 102418.
Lowell, A., B. Suarez‐Jimenez, L. Helpman, et al. 2018. “9/11‐Related PTSD Among Highly Exposed Populations: A Systematic Review 15 Years After the Attack.” Psychological Medicine 48, no. 4: 537–553. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717002033.
Moccia, L., D. Janiri, M. Pepe, et al. 2020. “Affective Temperament, Attachment Style, and the Psychological Impact of the COVID‐19 Outbreak: An Early Report on the Italian General Population.” Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 87: 75–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.04.048.
Ortiz Diaz, K. J., S. D. Landes, and S. M. Monnat. 2024. “Differences in Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Between US Civilians and Military Veterans in the Gulf War and Post‐9/11 War Eligibility Cohorts: A Research Note.” Armed Forces and Society 52: 370–384. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X241291856.
Schechtman, E. G., D. E. Hay, I. Schwartz, Y. Neria, and D. Roe. 2025. “The Unfolding of Psychological Distress Following the October 7 Attack on Israel: The Impact of Exposure, Gender, and Event Centrality.” Psychiatry Research 344: 116356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116356.
Shalev, A., I. Liberzon, and C. Marmar. 2017. “Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder.” New England Journal of Medicine 376: 2459–2469. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003579915‐13.
Siman‐Tov, M., I. Radomislensky, and K. Peleg. 2013. “Reduction in Trauma Mortality in Israel During the Last Decade (2000–2010): The Impact of Changes in the Trauma System.” Injury 11: 1448–1452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2012.08.054.
Solomon, Z. 2020. “From the Frontline to the Homefront: The Experience of Israeli Veterans.” Frontiers in Psychiatry 11: 589391. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.589391.
Vasterling, J. J., M. Aslan, S. P. Proctor, et al. 2016. “Longitudinal Examination of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Long‐Term Outcome of Iraq War Deployment.” American Journal of Epidemiology 184, no. 11: 796–805. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kww151.
Vázquez, C., P. Pérez‐Sales, and G. Hervás. 2008. “Positive Effects of Terrorism and Posttraumatic Growth: An Individual and Community Perspective.” In Trauma, Recovery, and Growth: Positive Psychological Perspectives on Posttraumatic Stress, vol. 63–91. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118269718.ch4.
Watson, P. 2022. “Stress, PTSD, and COVID‐19: The Utility of Disaster Mental Health Interventions During the COVID‐19 Pandemic.” Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry 9, no. 1: 14–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40501‐021‐00253‐z.
Weathers, F. W., B. T. Litz, T. M. Keane, P. A. Palmieri, B. P. Marx, and P. P. Schnurr. 2013. The PTSD Checklist for DSM‐5 (PCL‐5). National Center for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov.
Wisco, B. E., B. P. Marx, E. J. Wolf, M. W. Miller, S. M. Southwick, and R. H. Pietrzak. 2014. “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the US Veteran Population: Results From the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.” Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 75, no. 12: 1338–1346.
Wu, S. 2019. “Effect of the Escalating China‐US Trade War on Health Care.” Lancet 394, no. 10204: 1140. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140‐6736(19)31908‐7.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: PTSD; armed conflict; combat; intense warfare; veterans; wartime
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260701 Date Completed: 20260701 Latest Revision: 20260701
Update Code: 20260702
DOI: 10.1002/ijop.70227
PMID: 42381283
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
Περιγραφή
ISSN:1464-066X
DOI:10.1002/ijop.70227