title: Reactions of psychiatric inpatients to the threat of biological and chemical warfare in Israel.
abstract: In the months before the Second Gulf War, the threat of biological and chemical warfare led many Israelis to experience significant stress and mood changes. In this study, we investigated whether this threat affected the subjective mood and behavior of inpatients with schizophrenia and compared the results with effects noted in their clinical staff. Subjects were evaluated at two points in time-2 months before the war and on day 1 of the war-with a specially designed questionnaire and with the Spielberger Scale for Trait Anxiety. Although the responses of the two groups did not differ radically before the war, on the first day of war, significant differences were noted, with patients demonstrating increases in anxiety and level of concern. Both groups reported similar effects on their mood. Patients were more concerned about the potential for the outbreak of World War III, whereas staff were more concerned about economic effects. Female subjects in both groups demonstrated greater anxiety and mood changes after the outbreak of war compared with before the war. Effects observed on the patients may be related to the decreased coping threshold resulting from their illness, which renders psychotic patients more vulnerable to any acute stressor; however, effects on the staff members should not be ignored.
authors.affiliation: Beer Yaakov Mental Health Center, Beer Yaakov, Israel.
authors.forename: Rael D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Strous
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ofir
authors.forename: Ori
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Brodsky
authors.forename: Janna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yakirevitch
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Drannikov
authors.forename: Nadav
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Navo
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D001694:Biological Warfare / Q000523:psychology*; D023482:Bioterrorism / Q000523:psychology*; D002618:Chemical Warfare / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000208:ethnology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology