Search Results (10)

Early caregiving can evoke feelings of helplessness in mothers that are potentially associated with disintegrative responses, i.e., intrusive thoughts and dissociative experiences in the context of infant care. Given the associated increase in stress and exposure to life-threatening dangers, crises such as pandemics and wars may intensify these responses, but this has not previously been tested. Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to (1) examine maternal disintegrative responses across three contexts—a high-intensity phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, a subsequent low-intensity pandemic period, and the Israel–Hamas war—and (2) compare the two crisis periods in terms of trauma-related exposure, a damaged experience of childbirth and childcare, and their links to disintegrative responses. Method: This study had two parts and was conducted among Israeli mothers. Part 1 involved 1416 mothers across three groups: high-intensity pandemic (N = 637), low-intensity pandemic (N = 360), and war (N = 419). Part 2 involved a subsample from Part 1 comparing the 1056 mothers from the high-intensity pandemic and war groups. All the participants completed questionnaires assessing maternal disintegrative responses, trauma-related exposure, and a damaged experience of childbirth and childcare. The analyses included ANOVA and mediation models, controlling for maternal characteristics. Results: Intrusive thoughts and dissociative experiences were significantly higher during both the high-intensity pandemic and war periods compared to the low-intensity pandemic period. Trauma exposure indirectly predicted intrusive thoughts and dissociative experiences through a damaged experience of childbirth and childcare, particularly during war. Conclusions: The findings indicate that maternal disintegrative responses were higher during high-intensity crisis contexts, with the highest levels reported by mothers during the war. Trauma exposure and a damaged experience of childbirth and childcare were associated with more intrusive thoughts and dissociative experiences, underscoring the need for targeted support to protect maternal well-being and caregiving during crises. Full article

Pregnancy and transition to motherhood are significant experiences accompanied by manifold changes, particularly during times of crisis, such as exposure to traumatic events, which involve further levels of complexity and vulnerability. This is especially true for Arab women in Israel, considering the interactions between their physical, mental, and social environments, and their impact on health during pregnancy and childcare in wartime. This study sought to examine the experience of Arab women in Israel, who experienced intersectional marginalization as women in a traditional patriarchal society who belong to a minority group, during the perinatal period, following the events of 7 October 2023, and the subsequent Israel–Hamas war. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten participants in different stages of pregnancy and young mothers to infants up to a year old. The thematic analysis revealed four main themes: The impact of the war on intrapersonal identity; The impact within the couple’s relationship identity; The impact on family identity; Socio-political identity. Shining a spotlight on the experiences of Arab women in Israel and their daily functioning in the current complex reality reveals unique challenges, encompassing profound feelings of fear, anxiety, and imposed silence. Deepening the understanding of marginalized women’s experiences can help policymakers in the field of women’s health to design tailored adaptations in health policies for Arab women from minority groups, navigating the complexities of transitioning to motherhood during periods of social instability and wartime challenges. Full article

The Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, and the Israeli military response unleashed a catastrophic episode of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and exacerbated broader tensions in the region. This study compares Al Jazeera English (AJE) and BBC’s coverage of and discourse around key events in the early stages of the 2023 Israel–Gaza War. Using critical discourse analysis as an analytical framework, this study employs mixed methods to compare transitivity, intertextuality, and lexicalization as key discursive features in the two outlets’ coverage of the war. Counter to previous qualitative works, this study quantitatively reveals no variation between AJE and BBC’s use of active voice yet points to key qualitative differences in the discursive treatment of Palestinians and the reporting on death tolls. It further demonstrates drastic differences in the quoting patterns and negative lexicalization of the early phases of the war, with AJE taking a more balanced approach and BBC refraining from emphasizing accusations against Israel of committing “genocide”, “ethnic cleansing”, “terrorism”, and “war crimes”. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of differential discourses around the Gaza War and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in international media. Full article

Images broadcast on television, radio analyses, and long articles printed in newspapers and, today, the content of digital platforms have become an overwhelming part of our daily lives. The history of the State of Israel, which has been debated since its foundation, is very complex and not exempt from the reverberations that the policies of the opposing blocs have had over time on the conflicts that followed. Given the attention of the European public to international events concerning Israel and the role of the media in conveying information about them, the aim of this research was to investigate how Israel is talked about in the current media environment in Italy, particularly the digital one, within the Facebook platform between the years 2019 and 2021. This is the period before the outbreak of the war on 7 October 2023; this is to try to understand whether Israel has always been narrated according to specific media frames in Italy, such as those we see emerging with the current conflict against Hamas, or is it possible to highlight different aspects in previous years within the same context of crisis, but a global health crisis: before and after COVID-19. Full article

This study examined the emotional reactions and coping resources of Bedouin teenagers (ages 12–18) following the events of 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Iron Swords War between Israel and Hamas forces in Gaza. This study focused on the relationships between subjective exposure, personal sense of coherence, community resilience, and the use of different coping strategies, on the one hand, and anxiety, anger, and psychological distress, on the other. During 2024, 762 participants completed the study questionnaire, which addressed the different study variables. The findings revealed significant differences between the boys and the girls. Specifically, the girls reported higher levels of subjective exposure and emotional reactions. Personal sense of coherence was found to be a significant protective factor. In contrast, the use of nonproductive coping strategies increased distress. This study underscores the need for intervention programs tailored for this society and by gender, as well as training for educational professionals, to help them to identify and treat emotional reactions to stress in ways that take into consideration the Bedouin cultural context. This study enhances our understanding of how Bedouin teenagers cope with stressful situations and crises. Full article

The 2023/2024 war in Gaza is testing Catholic–Jewish relations. It uncovers three layers of tension in the Church’s relationship with the Jewish people and the State of Israel: First, the differences in the Catholic historical interpretation of the Hamas attack and the war in Gaza in respect to the Jewish one. Second, a theological tension between Catholic teachings on Jews and Judaism and the concept of universal fraternity—how unique is the relationship with the Jewish people compared to all of humanity? Third, a tension between supporting Christians in the Holy Land and their political aspirations and maintaining positive relations with the State of Israel while avoiding a theological stance on Zionism. These tensions lead to intra-Catholic and ecumenical challenges in the theology of Jews, Judaism, and the Land of Israel, particularly in discussions on antisemitism, anti-Judaism, universal fraternity, and violence. This study relies on analyzing relevant press articles and statements from Catholic hierarchs and Jewish leaders, contextualizing them with recent developments in the Catholic theology of war and violence. Full article

Fluctuations in oil prices substantially impact both the real economy and international financial markets. Despite extensive studies on oil market dynamics and overnight momentum, a comprehensive understanding of the link between oil price changes and energy market momentum, as well as their broader influence on global financial markets, remains elusive. This study delves into the intricate mechanics of overnight momentum transmission within financial markets, focusing on its origin in oil price fluctuations and its overarching impact on market dynamics. Employing the quantile VAR method, we analyze daily market data from 3 January 2014 to 17 January 2024. This study emphasizes the significance of overnight momentum on the transmission of volatility, particularly in the tails of the distribution, and highlights the necessity for efficient strategies to govern financial stability. The shale oil revolution, COVID-19, the Russia–Ukraine war, and the Israel–Hamas conflict have significantly impacted the interconnectivity of financial markets on a global scale. It is crucial for policymakers to give priority to the monitoring of the energy market to reduce risks and improve the resilience of the system. Full article

Background: Warfare represents a significant source of stress in contemporary times, with enduring implications beyond the immediate casualties, fostering a pervasive atmosphere of danger and anxiety within affected populations. The Israel–Hamas war, marked by ongoing armed incursions and missile attacks, stands as a recent example of such turmoil, inflicting widespread trauma and disruption. Methods: This study, conducted among students at the Ashkelon Academic College in southern Israel, aimed to investigate the stress levels and associated factors amidst the ongoing conflict. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 625 participants between January and February 2024, approximately four months after the commencement of the initial attack. The survey encompassed demographic information, perceived stress levels, sleep quality, and social media usage. Results: The findings revealed moderate to high stress levels among participants, with significant differences observed based on gender, parental status, and residency in conflict zones. Moreover, poorer sleep quality was reported among students residing in conflict-affected areas. Regression analysis identified several predictors of elevated stress, including gender, parental status, sleep quality, residency in conflict zones, and social media usage. Conclusions: These findings underscore the profound impact of ongoing conflict on college students’ mental well-being, highlighting the need for tailored interventions and support services within higher education institutions. The limitations include the study’s focus on a specific college population and the timing of the data collection relative to the onset of the war. Nonetheless, this research contributes valuable insights concerning the stress dynamics within the unique context faced by Israeli students amidst ongoing warfare. Full article

(1) Background: The impact of armed conflicts on public health is undeniable, with psychological stress emerging as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Nevertheless, contemporary data regarding the influence of war on CVD, and especially on acute coronary syndrome (ACS), are scarce. Hence, the aim of the current study was to assess the repercussions of war on the admission and prognosis of patients admitted to a tertiary care center intensive cardiovascular care unit (ICCU). (2) Methods: All patients admitted to the ICCU during the first three months of the Israel–Hamas war (2023) were included and compared with all patients admitted during the same period in 2022. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. (3) Results: A total of 556 patients (184 females [33.1%]) with a median age of 70 (IQR 59–80) were included. Of them, 295 (53%) were admitted to the ICCU during the first three months of the war. Fewer Arab patients and more patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infraction (STEMI) were admitted during the war period (21.8% vs. 13.2%, p < 0.001, and 31.9% vs. 24.1%, p = 0.04, respectively), whereas non-STEMI (NSTEMI) patients were admitted more frequently in the pre-war year (19.3% vs. 25.7%, p = 0.09). In-hospital mortality was similar in both groups (4.4% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.71; HR 1.42; 95% CI 0.6–3.32, p = 0.4). (4) Conclusions: During the first three months of the war, fewer Arab patients and more STEMI patients were admitted to the ICCU. Nevertheless, in-hospital mortality was similar in both groups. Full article

The present research has been carried out concurrently with the conversation that took place on the social network TikTok during the most recent escalation of the war between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East (Gaza-Palestine) during the month of October 2023. The main objective of this article is to analyze of how young audiences are informed about complex problems, the quality of that information, and the consequences of the intensification of uncontrolled hate speech. Regarding the methodology, data were extracted from TikTok using the open-source tool tiktok-hashtag-analysis—hosted on GitHub—which facilitated the analysis of hashtags within the posts collected from this social network, starting with an initial sample of 17,654 comments. The article draws and reaches conclusions related to the fact that young audiences indeed are interested in the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, as it is evident that the conversation—which is polarized—on TikTok about this issue has escalated considerably. Similarly, analysis of the extracted and filtered sample shows that the variable “hate speech” intensified on the platform during the analyzed conversation. Full article