Health status and mortality in Holocaust survivors living in Jerusalem 40-50 years later.
The long-term health sequelae of the Holocaust were assessed 40-50 years later in the framework of a Jerusalem community health study. Holocaust survivors (N = 288, mean age = 67.6 years) and European-born Jews, not exposed to the Holocaust (N = 486, mean age = 68.9 years), were studied in 1985-87. Our objective was to compare psychobehavioral factors, clinical variables, and mortality outcomes. The comparisons revealed higher emotional distress scores in female Holocaust survivors than in unexposed women and poorer self-appraised health status in male Holocaust survivors than unexposed men. A 10-year mortality follow-up that terminated in April 1996 showed no significant association with Holocaust exposure. Long-term Holocaust survivors may represent a selective resilient group.
Collins
Chen
C
District Health Office, 86 Jaffa Road, Jerusalem, 94341, Israel.
Burazeri
Genc
G
Gofin
Jaime
J
Kark
Jeremy D
JD
D000368:Aged; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D017767:Holocaust; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D017741:Survivors