Challenges in the homecoming of released prisoners of war: Israeli defense force preparations—A case study of freed prisoners of war from the Yom Kippur War and Second Lebanon War.

Abstract

The reception of released prisoners of war (POWs) is a complex challenge. The system's handling of their homecoming and processing has tremendous implications for former captives. Preparing and assisting the POW's family for their loved one's return is also a key to their reintegration into society and home. The Israeli Defense Force has revised its approach to the homecoming and reintegration of freed POWs based on lessons from the past. It has examined the main features of the POW's homecoming, including mental health. A qualitative naturalistic case study is presented that analyzes the stories of how two freed POWs, one from the Yom Kippur War and the other from the First Lebanon War, were received and processed. The article offers important and useful insights for clinicians, doctors, and systems involved in the challenges of the reception and reintegration of freed POWs.

What predicts unremitting suicidal ideation? A prospective examination of the role of subjective age in suicidal ideation among ex-prisoners of war.

“…It is estimated that between 2,521 and 2,800 Israeli soldiers were killed in action, between 7,250 and 8,800 soldiers were wounded, and 293 Israeli soldiers were taken captive. Those who were taken captive on the Egyptian front were held for a period of four to six weeks, and those who were taken captive on the Syrian front were held for a period of six to nine months (Levi, Fruchter, & Kreiss, 2018). Whereas previous studies on the present cohort of veterans and ex-POWs have reported on their SI (see Levi-Belz et al, 2015) as well as concomitants and predictors to their subjective age (such as guilt, and PTSS; see Avidor, Levin, & Solomon, 2018), this is the first study to examine these variables in the fourth and most recent wave of measurement, conducted in 2015, as this study's participants entered old age.…”