Posttraumatic stress disorder among three-generation families in times of war: A comparison between Israeli Jewish and Arabs after the second Lebanon war (2006) and cast lead operation (2009)

There is little mention in the existing literature regarding the differential effects of wars or military operations on 3-generation families. Participants (n = 509; 167 elderly parents, 171 adult offspring, and 171 adult grandchildren) living in the northern and southern regions of Israel were interview after the Second Lebanon War (2006) and the Cast Lead Operation (2009). The participants were sampled by using a cluster sampling. Elderly parents experience higher levels of PTSD symptoms than their adult children or their adult grandchildren do. Women experience higher levels of PTSD symptoms than men and Israeli Arabs and Druze higher levels than Israeli Jews in all 3 generations. A policy should be enacted among the local authorities and the governmental offices that would ensure accessibility to and the ability to provide proper care especially for the elderly population during times of war, military operations, or terror events. In addition, it is important to set up local teams in every local community to deal with the level of mental and emotional preparedness of the homefront and its inhabitants, in case the latter should again become part of the human casualties of the wars and terrorist events that occur in Israel.