title: Psychosomatic symptoms among hospital physicians during the Gaza War: a repeated cross-sectional study.
abstract: Research regarding psychosomatic symptoms among  hospital physicians during armed conflict is scarce. The  current study compared psychosomatic symptoms  of exposed and unexposed hospital physicians in two  studies. The studies were conducted during 2009 and  included a survey of two random samples of hospital  physicians, one conducted during the Gaza War and  the other conducted six months later. Each sample  included hospital physicians who were directly exposed  to war related stress and others who were not (Study  1: N = 54; Study 2: N = 31). In Study 1, exposed hospital  physicians did not differ from unexposed physicians  in the level of psychosomatic symptoms during the  war (Psychosomatic Problems Scale 6.48 vs 4.09).  However, in Study 2, exposed physicians reported a  higher level of psychosomatic symptoms (10.33 vs 3.21).  Moreover, analysis of covariance revealed a significant  interaction effect of Exposure X Study (F = 7.976; p =  .006; ?p2 = .100). Exposure to war-related stress takes  a toll on psychosomatic symptoms among hospital  physicians. This late onset of psychosomatic symptoms  is discussed in light of the cognitive-energetical model.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Ariel University Center of Samaria, Ariel, Israel. menbe@ariel.ac.il
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben-Ezra
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Palgi
authors.forename: Jonathan Jacob
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shrira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014857:Warfare