This is an exploratory study of the relationship between three sociodemographic variables, four types of life experiences, and the development of the Sense of Coherence (SOC). The study was carried out using semi-structured life-history interviews of eighty-nine retirees whose SOC scores had been obtained in a previous study. The central research question was what kind of experiences within the family context during childhood are related to the development of the SOC. The interviews were scored on ten pre-coded variables derived from four types of life experiences which were hypothesized to shape the SOC: consistency, load balance, participation in shaping outcome, and emotional closeness. In addition, three sociodemographic variables, which were hypothesized to influence the family context by setting limits and offering opportunity for the kinds of interactions which might occur within the family, were measured: family education level, socioeconomic status, and gender. Results of the statistical analysis indicate that the most relevant childhood experience related to the adult SOC was participation in shaping outcomes. Both family education level and gender were related to SOC, directly and indirectly. Findings are discussed in terms of the salutogenic model and the historical and social context in which the interviewees grew up.

This study investigated psychological reactions of adolescents to a severe stress situation--the evacuation of the Sinai settlements. The research focused on emotional reactions of anxiety and anger to this stress situation. Two central problems were investigated: The intensity of the emotional responses of anxiety and anger of the adolescents to the stress situation, before and after the evacuation, and the impact of three intervening variables on these emotional reactions--cognitive perception of the political situation, family functioning, and personality characteristics. Data for this study were collected in a regional high school in Israel from 418 pupils in 9th through 12th grades. Seventy-eight of the pupils lived in the Yamit area. Measurements were obtained at three points in time: 6 weeks and 1 week before the evacuation and 2 months after it. The results supported the predicted trend that adolescents in the Yamit group before the evacuation would score higher on state anxiety and state anger than would those in the comparison group. Two months after the evacuation there was a significant drop in those scores. The trait measures remained stable in both groups and no significant differences were found between the two groups on these scores. Concerning the impact of the three intervening variables on the intensity of the state emotional responses, the results did not support any of the hypotheses.

Emotional problems are an important component of general morbidity in primary care settings. Research on the sensitivity of primary care physicians to such problems is, however, scanty. This study examines the prevalence of emotional problems among 776 patients in primary care clinics in Israel using the GHQ-28 and as detected by their physicians. Hypotheses were tested relating to physician and practice characteristics and the extent to which they affect the matching of the two methods of problem identification. Using the GHQ, 69% of the patients were classified as 'cases'; physicians identified 31% of the patients as 'cases'. Specialist status in family medicine, interest and belief in the importance of emotional health, good communication, a low patient load and familiarity with the patient all predicted a better match of physician classification to GHQ-defined 'caseness'. The implications of these findings for ongoing medical education are briefly discussed.

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This paper attempts to deal with the concept of commitment to a society in the context of a commitment-alienation continuum. Twcr aspects of commitment were measured: cohesion or affective commitment and control or ideological commitment. Data were collected in a society intentionally structured to solve the problem of alienation: a kibbutz in Israel. Measures of the two dimensions of commitment were related to overall satisfaction and a series of ten variables (involving social roles, values and interpersonal relations) which were posited to be significant in the lives of kibbutz members. The main findings were: 1. The degree of commitment to the society is positively related to the degree of overall social need satisfaction. 2. The degree of commitment tends to be higher the more the individual is satisfied in those areas of life which are important to him. 3. Persons occupying roles considered important in the society tend to be more committed to the society than persons occupying less important roles.