Navigating the battlefield within: Exploring the interplay of political armed conflict, mental health, and emotion regulation

Yael Enav, Noga Shiffman, Ido Lurie, Yael Mayer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The study explored the intricate relationship between political armed conflict, mental health outcomes, and emotion regulation strategies, focusing on cognitive reappraisal and emotion suppression. Drawing on extensive literature, we examined the impact of the Israel-Hamas war on mental health, particularly post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and anxiety. Using data from a nationally representative sample of 517 Israeli adults surveyed four weeks after the October 7 war began, we conducted path analysis to examine the direct and indirect effects of conflict exposure on mental health outcomes mediated by emotion regulation. Cognitive reappraisal was positively associated with well-being, while emotion suppression was linked to higher levels of PTSS and anxiety and lower levels of well-being. Subjective exposure to war events was associated with higher levels of anxiety and PTSS, and cognitive reappraisal served as a protective factor for overall well-being. We also observed ethnicity, age, and gender differences in exposure levels and mental health outcomes. Emotion regulation emerges as a crucial factor in navigating the psychological challenges posed by war exposure, with cognitive reappraisal associated with positive mental health outcomes and emotion suppression linked to adverse effects.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)16-22
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Affective Disorders
Volume368
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2025

Keywords

  • Anxiety
  • Emotion regulation
  • Post-traumatic-stress-symptoms
  • War

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Clinical Psychology

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