The stress and coping of Israeli emergency room social workers following terrorist attacks

Eli Somer, Eli Buchbinder, Maya Peled-Avram, Yael Ben-Yizhack

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The authors of this qualitative study analyze Israeli hospital social workers' emotional responses to working with civilian casualties in the wake of an unprecedented surge of terrorist violence. Data are based on four focus groups conducted with 38 hospital social workers in relation to their experience with clients in the emergency room. Three themes were identified: (a) Restoring a lost sense of personal security as a necessary stepping-stone toward resuming professional performance, (b) Meeting the families' pain and responding to it, and (c) Disconnecting emotionally in the service of the professional self. The authors discuss the findings in light of the literature on peritraumatic dissociation among helpers.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1077-1093
Number of pages17
JournalQualitative Health Research
Volume14
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2004

Keywords

  • Dissociation
  • First responders
  • Israel
  • Social workers
  • Terror
  • Vicarious traumatization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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