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Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports 8/2019

01-08-2019 | Child and Family Disaster Psychiatry (B Pfefferbaum, Section Editor)

Continuous Traumatic Stress and the Life Cycle: Exposure to Repeated Political Violence in Israel

Authors: Ruth Pat-Horenczyk, Miriam Schiff

Published in: Current Psychiatry Reports | Issue 8/2019

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Millions of individuals and families live under continual exposure to threat such as protracted socio-political conflict or community violence facing current and future danger. The construct of continuous traumatic stress (CTS) was suggested as a supplement perspective for the understanding of the specific impact of living under both current and realistic future threat. Yet, the unique parameters, utility, and validity of the construct CTS are underexplored.

Recent Findings

Currently, CTS describes both the exposure and the unique clinical conglomerate of distress. In this paper, we first elaborate on the rationale for the construct of CTS. Then, we present evidence on the consequences of exposure to CTS in the Israeli context of continual ongoing and prolonged political violence.

Summary

Research on CTS is presented across the life cycle with an emphasis on risk and protective factors from a developmental perspective. We conclude with implications for research, assessment, and interventions.
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Metadata
Title
Continuous Traumatic Stress and the Life Cycle: Exposure to Repeated Political Violence in Israel
Authors
Ruth Pat-Horenczyk
Miriam Schiff
Publication date
01-08-2019
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Psychiatry Reports / Issue 8/2019
Print ISSN: 1523-3812
Electronic ISSN: 1535-1645
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-019-1060-x

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