Related Experiment Videos
Anxiety-related somatic reactions during missile attacks
A Carmeli1, N Liberman, L Mevorach
1Department of Behavioral Sciences, Israel Defense Forces.
Israel Journal of Medical Sciences
|November 1, 1991
Summary
During the Persian Gulf War, Israeli civilians experienced declining somatic reactions to missile attacks, despite initial fears of chemical warfare. Anxiety-related physical symptoms were more common in females and those with less formal education.
Area of Science:
- Psychological impact of war
- Chemical warfare
- Public health
Background:
- Israeli civilians faced missile attacks during the Persian Gulf War.
- Potential for chemical warfare agents necessitated protective measures like gas masks and sealed rooms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate somatic reactions to anxiety-arousing situations during missile attacks.
- To understand the prevalence and demographic factors associated with these somatic reactions.
Main Methods:
- Four telephone surveys were conducted with the Israeli civilian population.
- Data collected on somatic reactions, demographics, and expectancies about chemical warfare.
Main Results:
- Somatic reactions decreased from 38% after the first attack to 20% by 12 days later.
- Females reported more somatic reactions than males.
- Individuals with only elementary education reported more reactions than those with academic education.
Conclusions:
- Somatic reactions to the threat of chemical warfare diminished over time.
- Demographic factors, including gender and education level, influenced the prevalence of somatic reactions.
- Complex relationships exist between expectancies of chemical warfare and observed somatic responses.