Suffering from infectious diseases during the Holocaust relates to amplified psychological reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Shrira, Amit; Maytles, Ruth; Frenkel-Yosef, Maya

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.08.024

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These findings are interesting considering the fact that in comparison to earlier studies on HS showing that HS were less educated, and/or less healthy physically and/or mentally (e.g., [ 20 , 27 ]), our participants were young during the war (mainly children or adolescents), and therefore, many of them were less likely to be aware of and/or remember all of the traumatic events they lived through, which may lead to the assumption that they would be less susceptible to effects of new threatening life events, however this is not what we identified. Our results also lend support to other findings regarding Corona-related negative mental health effects among HS in Israel, especially among those who suffered during or after WWII from infectious diseases or who report experiencing PTSD symptoms [ 32 , 33 ], possibly because the threat of the disease to life and the imposed social restrictions trigger early memories difficult to bear. In general, our findings indicate that exposure of HS to prolonged negative life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely to lead to more adverse outcomes in mental health than in mentally stronger social groups.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Psychological reactions to the coronavirus pandemic: a comparative study of Holocaust survivors and other older adults in Israel

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The current study examines psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults living in Israel. Based on the ‘life events, stress, coping and health theory,’ we hypothesized that due to their traumatic early life history and dearth of emotional and physical coping resources, Holocaust survivors would be more vulnerable than other older adults to the negative effects of this difficult and prolonged life event on their mental health. Methods Based on structured questionnaires with closed questions, we interviewed 306 Holocaust survivors and non-survivors aged 75 + during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Univariate data analysis showed that Holocaust survivors had fewer coping resources in terms of health status and educational level than non-survivors. As expected, Holocaust survivors also reported a greater extent of COVID-19-related anxiety, and more depression, which worsened during the pandemic. However, both groups did not differ in their will to live, which is an indicator of general well-being and commitment to continue living. In multivariate analyses conducted to explain COVID-19 anxiety in the entire sample and separately on each of the two groups, the best explanatory variables were other psychological variables especially increased depression. Conclusions It seems that Holocaust survivors are more emotionally vulnerable to the pandemic’s negative effects than other older adults, in support of the ‘life events, stress, coping and health theory,’ but despite this, they show resilience in their will to continue living. Policy makers and practitioners are recommended to identify Holocaust survivors and other vulnerable older people and investigate their specific needs. Interventions should include practices for maintaining and boosting resilience and well-being by increasing appropriate emotional and cognitive internal and external coping resources, especially during prolonged periods of hardship.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Psychological reactions to the coronavirus pandemic: a comparative study of Holocaust survivors and other older adults in Israel

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Recently it was suggested that older adults coping with the long-term effects of trauma, for example, Holocaust survivors, may show increased psychological distress during the COVID-19 crisis (Cohn-Schwartz et al, 2020). These concerns received support in a study that showed that specific subgroups of survivors manifest amplified psychological reactions during the pandemic (Shrira et al, 2020). The current study took another step forward by examining whether offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS) have particular psychological sensitivities to the COVID-19 pandemic, due to specific vulnerabilities in Holocaust survivor families.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental PTSD and psychological reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic among offspring of Holocaust survivors.

Shrira¹,

Felsen²

2021

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: Previous evidence suggests heightened sensitivity to life-threatening challenges among offspring of Holocaust survivors (OHS). Therefore, this study examined the psychological reactions of aging OHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A convenience sample (N = 297, mean age = 66.85) of North American Jews rated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for their parents and for themselves. They further rated their psychological distress, COVID-19-related worries, loneliness, and social support. Respondents were divided into four groups: OHS with two parents with probable PTSD, with one such parent, with no such parent, and comparisons whose parents did not undergo the Holocaust. Results: OHS with two parents with PTSD reported the highest levels of PTSD symptoms. Controlling for respondents' own PTSD, OHS with two parents with PTSD reported higher psychological distress relative to comparisons. Moreover, OHS with parental PTSD reported higher loneliness relative to OHS without parental PTSD or comparisons. The groups did not differ in COVID-19-related worries or social support. Conclusions: The distress experienced by OHS with parental PTSD seems more general, and is possibly related to the multiple coalescing crises that occurred since the pandemic began, rather than to the health risk associated directly with COVID-19. Moreover, while OHS acknowledge having good social support, some of them nevertheless feel lonely. This possibly reflects unique interpersonal difficulties characteristic in Holocaust survivor families. These findings suggest that OHS with parental PTSD (especially when both parents had symptoms) represent a group of older adults who are relatively susceptible to negative psychological effects of the current pandemic. Clinical Impact StatementPreliminary COVID-19-related studies indicate that older adults might be vulnerable to negative mental health effects associated with social distancing and isolation. Identifying older adults who might be particularly vulnerable will allow more timely effective intervention and prevention of adverse effects. We identified vulnerabilities to PTSD, psychological distress, and loneliness among aging offspring of Holocaust survivors with parental PTSD, which render these older adults more susceptible to negative effects related to COVID-19 and to the coalescing crises that followed. Parental PTSD might constitute a risk factor for such vulnerabilities also in other groups of older adults.

show abstract

“…Despite these limitations, our findings present a preliminary understanding of how psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic is potentially reduced by the ability to benefit from active planning and activity engagement among Holocaust survivors with high PTS levels. While recent research has pointed out how COVID-19 affects Holocaust survivors (e.g., Maytles et al, 2021;Shrira, Maytles, et al, 2020), this work demonstrates how planning and engaging in activities during the pandemic is particularly beneficial to survivors displaying high levels of PTS.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Hantman and Solomon, 2007). In the context of COVID-19, recent studies have demonstrated that survivors who reported that they had contracted an infectious disease (e.g., tuberculosis; dysentery) during the Holocaust reported higher levels of loneliness, COVID-19 worries, and PTS in comparison with survivors who did not contract such diseases (Shrira, Maytles, et al, 2020). Moreover, survivors with high levels of PTS reported feeling older, more lonely, and increased worries when compared with low-PTS-level survivors and comparisons (Maytles et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Activity engagement and psychological distress among Holocaust survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Bergman

Maytles

Frenkel-Yosef³

et al. 2021

Int. Psychogeriatr.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic may pose a specific threat for Holocaust survivors, as such threats may be linked with increased psychological distress. Moreover, research has demonstrated that engaging in planful problem-solving activities is associated with reduced distress. Accordingly, we aimed to examine the link between engaging in activities during COVID-19 and psychological distress among Holocaust survivors with varying levels of post-traumatic symptoms (PTS) and comparisons (not directly exposed to the Holocaust). Design: A cross-sectional design composed of Holocaust survivors and a comparison group. Setting: Participants were interviewed face-to-face, over the telephone, or filled the scales online at their leisure. Participants: Data were collected from 131 older Jewish Israelis (age range 76–94, M = 82.73, SD = 4.09), who were divided into three groups (comparisons; low-PTS survivors; high-PTS survivors). Measurements: Participants completed scales assessing PTS, activity engagement, and psychological distress and provided additional sociodemographic, medical, and COVID-19-related information. Results: When activity engagement was low, high-PTS survivors reported extremely high levels of psychological distress relative to low-PTS survivors and comparisons. However, when activity engagement was high, these group differences were considerably reduced, as the psychological distress of high-PTS survivors was significantly lower. Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of daily planning and activity engagement for Holocaust survivors with high PTS levels in reducing psychological distress. Clinicians are urged to take this factor into account when dealing with the psychological effects of COVID-19 on survivors and on traumatized older adults in general.

show abstract

Suffering from infectious diseases during the Holocaust relates to amplified psychological reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 12 publications

References 17 publications

Psychological reactions to the coronavirus pandemic: a comparative study of Holocaust survivors and other older adults in Israel

Psychological reactions to the coronavirus pandemic: a comparative study of Holocaust survivors and other older adults in Israel

Parental PTSD and psychological reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic among offspring of Holocaust survivors.

Activity engagement and psychological distress among Holocaust survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About