בצל מתקפת שבעה באוקטובר: סימפטומים פוסט־טראומטיים וחוסר תפקוד בקרב מפונים מהצפון ומהדרום

The Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent Iron Swords War led to the evacuation of 400,000 residents from northern and southern Israel. This article examines post-traumatic symptoms, functional impairment, resilience, and trust in state institutions among 300 Israeli-Jewish evacuees (110 from the north, 190 from the south). The findings show that evacuees from the south reported higher levels of exposure and post-traumatic symptoms than those from the north. No difference was found between the groups regarding level of functioning, personal and community resilience, or level of trust in institutions. In both groups, the lowest levels of trust were in the government and decision-makers in the Cabinet, while the highest levels were in the security forces. Regression findings indicated that post-traumatic symptoms were explained by greater personal and social exposure. Dysfunction was explained by greater social exposure. Women exhibited higher levels of symptoms. Personal resilience was a protective factor against symptoms and dysfunction. The article concludes that low trust in state institutions was found among the evacuees, and that the most significant factor affecting symptom levels and functional difficulties was the extent of their exposure to traumatic events.