title: In the aftermath of trauma: a community study of Bedouin IDF servicemen and their families.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data are scarce on the effects of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PtSD) on minority servicemen from non-western communities and the indirect impact on their spouses and other family members.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews were completed with Bedouin servicemen in the Israel Defense Forces (N=317) and co-resident wives (N=129) and mothers (N=67).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Servicemen had high levels of trauma exposure and PtSD. Aggression displayed by married servicemen fully mediated the strong and positive relationship between their PtSD and wives' post-traumatic, depressive, and somatic symptoms. Mothers' more severe emotional distress was unrelated to sons' diagnostic status, but positively associated with sons' aggression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  these include sampling method, cross-sectional design, retrospective reports, and absence of data on onset of symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Profound cultural barriers to care require a proactive approach towards non-western servicemen, including (1) identification and initial treatment of trauma-related symptoms before discharge, (2) community education, and (3) training primary care physicians to address PtSD and related problems among servicemen and their families.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Rambam Medical Health Center, Haifa, Israel.
authors: Yael
authors: Y
authors: Caspi
authors: Ehud
authors: E
authors: Klein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs / Q000208:ethnology*; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology*