Life Stories in Context: Using the Three-Sphere Context Model To Analyze Amos's Narrative

Despite a wide theoretical consensus among narrative researchers about the importance of referring to context in analyzing narratives, it seems that the various contexts at work in individual life stories and the specific methodological implications of the importance of context are not that clear. In this paper, I will describe a model for context analysis, which refers to three distinct spheres of contexts in which narrators situate their life stories (Zilber, Tuval-Mashiach, & Lieblich, 2008). The first context involves the immediate inter-subjective relationships within and involving which a narrative is produced; the second comprises the collective social field in which a life and story have evolved; and the third surrounds the systems of broad cultural meaning or meta-narratives that underlie and give sense to any particular life story. In the second part of the paper, I will illustrate the three contexts in Amos's story, and claim that viewing his story as it is embedded through these three contexts not only situates it within a more general social framework, but also enables a deeper understanding of his identity and the core themes of his life-story

Distress Levels among Parents of Active Duty Soldiers during Wartime

Objective: Military service is a highly stressful period both for the soldiers serving and for their parents. Surprisingly, parents’ experience has been mostly ignored in the research. This study’s goal is to shed light on the experience and distress levels of parents of active duty combat soldiers during Operation Protective Edge, a military operation carried out by the Israel Defense Forces during July and August of 2014.Methods: During the advanced stages of the operation, 69 parents of Israeli male combat soldiers (55 mothers and 14 fathers) completed an online survey measuring symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD-Checklist-5) and distress (Brief Symptom Inventory-18). Participants were recruited using a convenience sample, by posting ads on the public Facebook pages of the researchers and of the groups dedicated to parents of Israeli soldiers.Results: Parents’ depression and anxiety symptom levels were higher than depression and anxiety symptom levels of the adult community norms in Israel. General distress rates of parents were similar to those presented by adults in southern Israel who were exposed for 7 years to the ongoing threat of daily rocket fire from Gaza, and higher than rates of a non-threatened Israeli population. Finally, 20.2% of the parents presented PTSD-like symptoms, a higher percentage than the probable PTSD diagnosis rates that were found in the general population in Israel during previous terror waves.Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence of soldiers’ parents’ distress and indicates the need for a better understanding of the impact of military service on soldiers’ parents

Genuine and simulated suicide notes: An analysis of content.

The present study examined genuine and simulated suicide notes aiming to identify the measures of content that best differentiate between the two. Thirty-three genuine and thirty-three simulated suicide notes were content-analysed and data subjected to smallest space analysis (SSA), a Multidimensional Scaling Procedure. The core of all suicide notes was discovered to be constructed with the use of three variables: expressions of love, positive construction of partner and apologies. Furthermore, four different genuine suicide note themes ('planned escape', 'negative affect and self-mitigation', 'positive affect and failed relationship', 'lack of self-acceptance') and three simulated suicide note themes ('escape', 'positive affect and self-blame', 'purposeless life') were identified revealing that authentic suicide note themes were more internally consistent and clearer to interpret

Multiple losses of social resources following collective trauma: The case of the forced relocation from Gush Katif. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. doi:10.1037=a0019912

Collective trauma may lead to a pervasive loss of personal and social resources. The current study used a mixed method design to explore losses of social connections and affiliations following the collective trauma of forced relocation. A sample of 269 relocated residents from Gush Katif completed open-ended questionnaires regarding their ability to cope following the relocation, as well as questionnaires regarding their sense of belonging to the country, their sense of alienation from government institutions, post traumatic symptoms, and well-being. Three themes emerged in the qualitative stage of the study as the primary losses experienced by participants: loss of physical place and landscape, loss of a sense of belonging to Israeli society, and loss of trust and alienation from the country's institutions. The quantitative stage revealed a complementary picture, with lower place commitment and higher alienation contributing directly both to post traumatic symptoms and to a reduced sense of well-being. In addition, a sense of alienation from the institutions of the country mediated the associations between the sense of belonging to the country and post traumatic symptoms and well-being. These findings are discussed in relation to the concept of social capital as a key factor in explaining one's ability to cope with collective trauma

Shared trauma reality in war: Mental health therapists' experience.

Shared traumatic reality occurs when therapists are doubly exposed to a traumatic event, both through their clients' experience, along with their own direct exposure. Studies have shown that a shared traumatic reality can lead to both positive and negative outcomes for therapists. Most studies have examined these reactions sometime after the end of the traumatic event, and less is known about reactions that occur during a traumatic event. In addition, most studies have assumed, rather than examined, indirect exposure. In this study, we extend this literature by examining direct and indirect exposure of therapists during a war situation, and their psychological reactions.Over a period of two months in 2014, 70% of the Israeli population was exposed to rocket fire. Geographical areas differed in terms of amount of exposure, and its potential danger. 151 therapists living throughout Israel were assessed via an Internet based survey in the middle of the war, and were assessed for the effects on their professional and personal lives, degree of burnout, ways of coping and symptoms levels of PTSD and psychological distress.These indicate that significant differences in direct exposure occurred depending on place of residence. PTSD levels were related to higher direct exposure, as well as prior trauma exposure, but not to indirect exposure. Indirect exposure, as measured by increased workload, was related to increased distress and emotional exhaustion.These data shed light on the effects of direct and indirect exposure to a shared traumatic experience of war amongst therapists. The data support previous studies showing a greater effect of direct exposure on PTSD. Since indirect exposure appears to negatively impact burnout and psychological distress, rather than PTSD, this study shows that symptoms other than PTSD should be the result of in a shared traumatic reality

Regression analyses.

<p>Regression analyses.</p

Correlations between symptom measures, past trauma and coping strategies.

<p>Correlations between symptom measures, past trauma and coping strategies.</p

Symptom levels.

<p>Symptom levels.</p