Psychological outcomes and resilience among evacuees and non-evacuees following the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel

The October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel's southern territory marked one of the most devastating events in the nation's history, and the ensuing war with Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north resulted in the internal displacement of more than a quarter million Israelis. In the current study we examined the impact of these traumatic events on 636 Israeli Jewish evacuees (n = 300) and non-evacuees (n = 336), focusing on the differential effects of personal resilience, community resilience, and trust in formal authorities on post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and life functioning. The findings revealed that 38.7% of participants met the criteria for PTSD, to a greater extent among the evacuees (45.7%) than the non-evacuees (32.4%). Evacuees experienced higher levels of trauma exposure and PTSS and lower life functioning and trust in authorities than did non-evacuees. No significant differences were found between the groups in personal or community resilience. Regression analyses indicated that higher exposure was a predictor of more PTSS and lower functioning, whereas personal resilience was negatively associated with PTSS and positively associated with functioning. Community resilience and trust were positively associated with life functioning. The study highlights the importance of resilience and trust in mitigating the adverse effects of trauma, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to support evacuated populations. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of the psychological impact of terrorism and provide insights into strategies for fostering resilience and recovery in the aftermath of national crises.