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Mental Health and Psychological Resilience: The Mental Health Burden of Terrorism, Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Global Disparities

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 April 2026 | Viewed by 3085

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Avi Besser

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Communication Disorders, School for Sciences, Health and Society, Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College (JMC), Jerusalem 9101001, Israel
Interests: vulnerability factors in postpartum depression; attachment and psychological adjustment in children, adolescents and mothers; perfectionism; self-criticism/dependency; distress and depression; suicidality; self-esteem; humor styles; PTSD; narcissism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health on "Mental Health and Psychological Resilience: The Mental Health Burden of Terrorism, Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Global Disparities". This peer-reviewed journal is dedicated to publishing interdisciplinary research at the intersection of environmental health sciences and public health. For more information about the journal, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

In recent years, the psychological impact of terrorism has drawn increasing attention from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. The effects of terrorism extend beyond immediate physical harm, significantly influencing mental health outcomes across diverse populations worldwide. This Special Issue aims to investigate various facets of this pressing issue, exploring not only the burden of mental health disorders triggered by terrorist activities, such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, but also the resilience and adaptive strategies that communities and individuals employ in response to these traumatic experiences.

We invite submissions that address the epidemiology of mental health outcomes related to terrorism, identifying risk factors that predispose individuals to psychological distress and well-being in affected regions. We are particularly interested in research that examines global disparities in mental health responses to terrorism, highlighting how socio-economic, cultural, psychological and systemic factors shape these experiences, along with the availability of mental health support.

Furthermore, we encourage innovative research on resilience factors that contribute to better mental health outcomes in the aftermath of terrorism. This includes studies that assess the role of community support, individual differences in psychological factors, psychological interventions, and policy implications for improving mental health resilience among affected populations.

This Special Issue seeks to present comprehensive and impactful research that stimulates discussion and constructive dialogue on the intersection of terrorism and mental health. We welcome contributions from a broad range of fields, including psychology, public health, sociology, and international relations, and encourage submissions that reflect a wide variety of perspectives and methodological approaches.

We look forward to receiving your manuscripts that align with the theme of this Special Issue and contribute to the growing body of literature on the psychological burden of terrorism.

Prof. Dr. Avi Besser
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • terrorism
  • mental health
  • well-being
  • psychological burden
  • epidemiology
  • resilience factors
  • risk factors
  • global disparities
  • PTSD
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • community support
  • interventions

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 574 KB  
Article
Double Shield: The Roles of Personal and Organizational Resources in Promoting Positive Outcomes for Employees During Wartime
by Ronit Nadiv and Marianna Delegach
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(9), 1384; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091384 - 4 Sep 2025
Viewed by 837
Abstract
Employee well-being is essential for organizational growth and success in stable times and is even more critical during crises and life-threatening events. Although the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of holistic approaches to sustaining employee well-being, limited research has been conducted to identify [...] Read more.
Employee well-being is essential for organizational growth and success in stable times and is even more critical during crises and life-threatening events. Although the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of holistic approaches to sustaining employee well-being, limited research has been conducted to identify strategies for maintaining employee well-being and preventing burnout during life-threatening events, such as wars or terrorist attacks. Addressing this gap, the current study investigates how and why a range of organizational resources (i.e., perceived organizational support, managerial accessibility, and psychological safety) and personal resources (i.e., hope and paradox mindset) contribute to reducing employee burnout in times of existential threat. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we propose that employee well-being mediates the relationship between organizational and personal resources and burnout at work. Data were collected through an online two-wave survey administered by a professional survey firm with access to a diverse pool of Israeli employees across occupations and work roles in November (time 1) and December 2023 (time 2), following the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas. A time-lagged design, with key outcomes collected one month after the predictors, was employed to reduce the risk of common method bias. The data were analyzed using path analysis with bootstrapped indirect effects. The results demonstrate that hope, organizational support, psychological safety, and managerial accessibility positively contribute to employee well-being, which, in turn, is associated with lower levels of burnout. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health and Psychological Resilience: The Mental Health Burden of Terrorism, Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Global Disparities)
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12 pages, 273 KB  
Article
The Roles of Dissociation and Depression in PTSD Among Soldiers Exposed to Combat
by Leah Shelef, Nir Spira, Uzi Bechor, Jacob Rotschield and Eran Shadach
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(6), 814; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22060814 - 22 May 2025
Viewed by 1536
Abstract
Exposure to severe combat situations significantly raises the risk of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma survivors may use dissociation as a defense mechanism, increasing the likelihood of PTSD. This study aims to explore the roles of dissociation and depression in PTSD [...] Read more.
Exposure to severe combat situations significantly raises the risk of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma survivors may use dissociation as a defense mechanism, increasing the likelihood of PTSD. This study aims to explore the roles of dissociation and depression in PTSD among soldiers exposed to combat who sought help from the Israel Combat Stress Reaction Unit. Method: This cross-sectional study involved 927 individuals who participated in a particular military operation in 2014 [98.5% male (n = 906); mean age = 27.08 (SD = 5.93)]. Participants completed three questionnaires: the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Post-Traumatic Stress Symptom Checklist (PCL-5) for PTSD. Results: Our results showed that severe PTSD (PCL score ≥ 33) was found in 30.4% of participants, and 76.6% showed dissociative symptoms (DES score ≥ 30). Additionally, 23.5% experienced moderate depression, while 19.1% reported severe depressive symptoms. A Generalized Linear Model revealed that both depression and dissociation significantly contribute to PTSD. Individuals with depression were three times more likely to experience post-traumatic symptoms compared to 1.23 times for those with dissociative symptoms. Conclusions: Life-threatening situations significantly predicted higher PTSD symptoms, serving as a risk factor for depression and dissociation, which play important roles in PTSD, with depression having notably greater impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health and Psychological Resilience: The Mental Health Burden of Terrorism, Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Global Disparities)
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