No abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship of exposure to family violence (i.e., experiencing parental physical violence [PH] and psychological aggression [PA] and witnessing interparental PH and PA) during childhood and adolescence with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) during young adulthood. In addition, the mediating role of self-efficacy in this relationship was investigated. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 516 university and college students in Israel (90.7% female and 9.3% male; Mage = 24.9, SD = 2.7). The results revealed that experiencing parental violence and witnessing interparental violence during childhood and adolescence were associated with high levels of current PTSS. The results also indicate that experiencing parental violence was associated with lower levels of self-efficacy, whereas no such significant relationship was found between witnessing interparental violence and self-efficacy. Furthermore, a negative relationship was found between self-efficacy and PTSS. In addition, the results show a partial mediation effect of self-efficacy only on the relationship between experiencing parental violence and PTSS. The findings are interpreted in light of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. The strengths and limitations of the study as well as implications for future research are discussed.

The present study examined effects of sociodemographic, risk, and resilience factors on marital, parental, and financial stress early in the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 480 married Palestinians living in Israel, using self-report questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were computed. Then, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict each of the three stress measures. Finally, dominance analyses were conducted to compare the contributions of sociodemographic, risk, and resilience factors. The results showed considerable differences between predictors of marital and parental stress and predictors of financial stress. For marital and parental stress, resilience factors mainly family resilience were the strongest predictors, followed by risk factors and then sociodemographic characteristics. For financial stress, risk factors (mainly financial damage and prior stressful life events) were the strongest predictors, followed by sociodemographic characteristics and resilience factors (mainly individual resilience). These results suggest that family and individual resilience reduce marital and parental stress under difficult conditions, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Though resilience has been found to ameliorate financial stress to some extent, it appears that other measures are required to manage stress related to financial difficulties.

While most of the work on factors influencing marital quality focuses on conflict reduction, research shows that positive interactions are also significant. Still, few studies have examined the effects of couple behavior in negative and positive contexts in a single theoretical model. Here, we tested whether prorelationship behaviors in negative and positive contexts, namely accommodation and capitalizationsupport, respectively, mediate the positive association between commitment and marital quality. We investigated each partner separately before addressing reciprocal relationships between partners. Given our sample of Arab couples in Israel, we further asked whether reciprocity patterns reflect patriarchal values. A total of 156 couples completed self-report questionnaires. Our novel Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model was supported among wives and partially among husbands. We found reciprocity in the associations between capitalization-support and marital quality but not between accommodation and marital quality. For wives, marital quality was more closely related to their own accommodation than to their husbands'. For husbands, marital quality was mainly related to their wives' accommodation, supporting presumably culture-based gender differences. The results with respect to conflict appeared indicative of traditional Arab family values that give wives responsibility for family well-being, reflecting asymmetrical relationships based on unequal status or power. With respect to mutual joy under positive conditions, results were more indicative of reciprocity in modern Western cultures. This finding might reflect gradual changes and modernization in Israel's Arabic society, despite maintenance of a predominantly traditional culture. The study highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in addressing marital behavior.

This study aims to examine the transition from face-to-face (FtF) to online psychotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we appraised the effectiveness of online psychotherapy (OT) during the COVID-19 pandemia. We assessed the implementation of the major components of the helping process and studied the factors that can predict this positive assessment, all from the point of view of the therapist. Participants were 192 psychotherapists recruited through a convenience sample, from three different regions in the country. Therapists were asked to assess three measures: the Effectiveness of Online Therapy (EOT), Online Therapy Preparedness (OTP), and Attitude Toward Telemedicine in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (ATiPP) Questionnaires. Associations between EOT, OTP, and ATiPP, as well as demographic and professional variables, were analyzed using bivariate analyses. A multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the contribution of the independent variables to EOT. Therapists reported high levels of EOT, OTP, and ATiPP. In addition, years of experience in therapy were found to contribute to EOT. Increasing exposure to online therapy through education as well as investing in the training and preparation of therapists in online therapy may be a pathway to enhance more effective OT, especially among those who have little experience.