title: Israeli adolescents with ongoing exposure to terrorism: suicidal ideation, posttraumatic stress disorder, and functional impairment.
abstract: In this study, we examined the relationships among terrorism exposure, functional impairment, suicidal ideation, and probable partial or full posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from exposure to terrorism in adolescents continuously exposed to this threat in Israel. A convenience sample of 2,094 students, aged 12 to 18, was drawn from 10 Israeli secondary schools. In terms of demographic factors, older age was associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation, OR = 1.33, 95% CI [1.09, 1.62], p < .01, but was protective against probable partial or full PTSD, OR = 0.72, 95% CI [0.54, 0.95], p < .05; female gender was associated with greater likelihood of probable partial or full PTSD, OR = 1.57, 95% CI [1.02, 2.40], p < .05. Exposure to trauma due to terrorism was associated with increased risk for each of the measured outcomes including probable partial or full PTSD, functional impairment, and suicidal ideation. When age, gender, level of exposure to terrorism, probable partial or full PTSD, and functional impairment were examined together, only terrorism exposure and functional impairment were associated with suicidal ideation. This study underscores the importance and feasibility of examining exposure to terrorism and functional impairment as risk factors for suicidal ideation.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 215 Lexington Avenue, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. claude.chemtob@nyumc.org
authors.forename: Claude M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chemtob
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pat-Horenczyk
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Madan
authors.forename: Seth R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pitman
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Osnat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Doppelt
authors.forename: Kelly Dugan
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abramovitz
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brom
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D023481:Terrorism / Q000523:psychology*