School‐based intervention for prevention and treatment of elementary‐students' terror‐related distress in Israel: A quasi‐randomized controlled trial
Abstract
A school-based intervention for preventing and reducing children's posttraumatic stress-related symptoms, somatic complaints, functional impairment, and anxiety due to exposure to terrorism was evaluated. In a quasi-randomized controlled trial, elementary school students were randomly assigned to an eight-session structured program, "Overshadowing the Threat of Terrorism" or to a waiting list control comparison group. Two months postintervention, the study group reported significant improvement on all measures. The authors conclude that a school-based universal intervention may significantly reduce posttraumatic stress disorder- (PTSD-) related symptoms in children repeatedly exposed to terrorist attacks and propose that it serve as a component of a public mental health approach dealing with children exposed to ongoing terrorism in a country ravaged by war and terrorism.
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An Israeli quasi-randomized trial assigned 70 students to intervention and 72 to a waitlist, delivered by trained teachers in eight 90-minute sessions.
“The quasi-randomized design assigned 70 students to the intervention and 72 to a waitlisted control, and was implemented by trained teachers over eight 90-minute sessions.”
From Interventions for Children Affected by War: An Ecological Perspective on Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Care (2013) · cites this paper as [42]
All outcomes of interest improved in the Overshadowing the Threat of Terrorism trial.
“Positive treatment effects were found on all outcomes of interest.”
From Interventions for Children Affected by War: An Ecological Perspective on Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Care (2013) · cites this paper as [42]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Berger, R., Pat‐Horenczyk, R., & Gelkopf, M.
- Affiliations
- Herzog Hospital (IL)
- Lev Hasharon Hospital (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Gelkopf, Marc
- Venue
- Journal of Traumatic Stress
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2007-08
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 541-551
- ISSN
- 0894-9867 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6598
- OpenAlex
- W2169761561
- Cited by
- 275
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 9.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Traumatic Stress (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Therapy and Development
- Keywords
- school-based intervention, post-traumatic stress disorder, elementary school students, universal prevention, anxiety, somatic symptoms, functional disability, public mental health, Israel
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Child, Curriculum, Female, Health Education, Humans, Israel, Male, Personality Assessment, Surveys and Questionnaires, School Health Services, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Students, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Terrorism
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