Same war, different homes: mental health outcomes of displaced versus non-displaced adolescents during war

Background: Adolescents are especially vulnerable to the psychological consequences of war, and displacement may add an additional burden beyond conflict exposure. However, the specific effects of war-related internal displacement on adolescent mental health remain understudied. This study is the first to compare mental health outcomes between displaced and non-displaced adolescents during an active war. Method: The study included 200 Israeli adolescents (aged 14–18) who were assessed 4–8 months after the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war. Half were internally displaced due to heightened risk in their residential region. Mental health outcomes included emotional distress (depression, anxiety, stress), emotion regulation difficulties, and intolerance of uncertainty. Results: The groups were demographically comparable. Displaced adolescents reported greater emotional distress, driven primarily by higher levels of stress and depression. They also experienced greater emotion regulation difficulties and higher intolerance of uncertainty compared to their non-displaced peers, which also mediated the association between displacement and distress. Conclusions: Internal displacement during war is associated with increased emotional distress among adolescents beyond war exposure, which likely occurs through elevated emotion regulation difficulties and intolerance of uncertainty. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to support adolescents in war settings, with particular attention to the challenges associated with displacement.