Brief report: adolescents under missile attacks: sense of coherence as a mediator between exposure and stress-related reactions

Abstract

Employing the salutogenic approach (Antonovsky, 1987), this pilot study aimed at exploring the mediation effect of Sense of Coherence (SOC) on the relationships between exposure to missile attacks and stress-related reactions among adolescents. A strong SOC means a tendency to see the world as more comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. Data were gathered during August 2006 (Second Lebanon War) from 230 Israeli adolescents, 12-18 years old. Adolescents filled out self-reported questionnaires, including demographics, level of physical exposure, SOC, Scale of Psychological Distress (SPD), State Anxiety and State Anger. Exposure to missile attacks was found to be significantly positively linked to stress reactions; exposure was negatively linked to SOC which was also negatively linked to stress reactions. The mediation hypothesis was supported, with SOC mediating the effect of exposure to missile attacks on stress reactions. It seems that SOC may have a protective effect against stress reactions among adolescents exposed to political violence. This should be further studied in a longitudinal research.