Yohanan Eshel1, Shaul Kimhi2, Mooli Lahad2, Dmitry Leykin3. 1. Department of Psychology, Tel-Hai College, Tel-Hai, Israel. Electronic address: yeshel@psy.haifa.ac.il. 2. Department of Psychology, Tel-Hai College, Tel-Hai, Israel. 3. Department of Energency Medicine, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The resilience of older and younger Israelis was investigated. DESIGN AND SETTING: A representative sample of the Jewish population in Israel (N = 1,022) was used. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were three adult age-groups (18-35, 36-64, and 65+ years). Half of them were women, and they evenly represented left-wing and right-wing political attitudes. MEASUREMENTS: Resilience was measured by the ratio of strength and vulnerability of the individual, the community, and the nation. RESULTS: Older participants did not differ from younger people in sense of danger; reported lower level of distress symptoms; and showed higher individual, community, and national resilience scores based on strength to vulnerability ratio, compared with younger individuals. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the contention that older Israelis are more resilient than younger cohorts. Their long direct or indirect experience with wars and terror attacks has not decreased their resilience, and has perhaps even strengthened it.
OBJECTIVES: The resilience of older and younger Israelis was investigated. DESIGN AND SETTING: A representative sample of the Jewish population in Israel (N = 1,022) was used. PARTICIPANTS: The participants were three adult age-groups (18-35, 36-64, and 65+ years). Half of them were women, and they evenly represented left-wing and right-wing political attitudes. MEASUREMENTS: Resilience was measured by the ratio of strength and vulnerability of the individual, the community, and the nation. RESULTS: Older participants did not differ from younger people in sense of danger; reported lower level of distress symptoms; and showed higher individual, community, and national resilience scores based on strength to vulnerability ratio, compared with younger individuals. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the contention that older Israelis are more resilient than younger cohorts. Their long direct or indirect experience with wars and terror attacks has not decreased their resilience, and has perhaps even strengthened it.