title: The mental health consequences of student "Holocaust memorial journeys".
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to study the mental health consequences of Israeli adolescents' 8-day "Holocaust memorial journey" to Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey to ascertain the experience of Israeli child and adolescent psychiatrists and residents in the specialty was conducted. Participants were asked about referrals regarding the memorial journey, and to compare these cases with referrals for other potentially traumatic events, including school "sleep-out" trips.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty child and adolescent psychiatrists and residents participated. According to their collective experience, the adolescents' memorial journey triggered a variety of mental health problems, including psychosis, but only one case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Judging by the number of referrals, there was a higher rate of mental health problems following the memorial journey than after the annual sleep-out school trip.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although it may seldom lead to PTSD, the Holocaust memorial journey can be a major stressor for some participating teenagers. Evaluating "high risk" adolescents prior to their planned exposure to likely stressors and conducting large, prospective studies that examine the impact of pre-planned stressors on the lives of adolescents are warranted. Providing support to all adolescents before, during and after exposure to anticipated stressors is important.
authors.affiliation: The Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Unit, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Ra'anana, Israel.
authors.forename: Aviva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mimouni-Bloch
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bloch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D017767:Holocaust / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011044:Poland; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014195:Travel / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Holocaust; Israel; PTSD; adolescents; memorial journey; psychological consequences