Yoav S. Bergman

Post-adoption depression among adoptive mothers

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the rate of depressive symptomatology and possible underlying factors in adoptive mothers during the transition to motherhood. DESIGN Cohort survey. SETTING General Community. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-nine adoptive mothers of reproductive age registered with international adoption agencies. INTERVENTIONS All women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) before and 6 weeks after the adoption. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Responses were compared between the study group and published findings for biological mothers in the general population, and within the study group, before and after adoption. RESULTS Symptoms of depression were found in 15.4% of the study group. This rate was similar to that for postpartum depression in the general population, and lower than the rate recorded in the study group before adoption (25.6%). All women with symptoms of depression after the adoption had also shown evidence of depressive features before the adoption. Similar findings were noted for other psychopathologies as well. CONCLUSION Adopting a child does not cause new-onset, reactive depression among adoptive mothers. It may even lead to a decrease in depressive features, perhaps in response to relief from other adjustment difficulties.

Suicidality, Problem-Solving Skills, Attachment Style, and Hopelessness in Turkish Students

Among 180 Turkish university students, the probability of suicide was strongly predicted by both hopelessness and deficiencies in problem solving. In addition, for women, unhealthy attachment styles (preoccupied and dismissing) also predicted suicidality. The clinical implications of these findings are that psychotherapists should focus on helping suicidal adolescents improve their problem solving skills and decreasing their hopelessness and, for women, assisting them to develop healthier relationship styles.

Different dimensions of ageist attitudes among men and women: a multigenerational perspective

BACKGROUND Ageism, a form of prejudice in which one relates negatively to people due to their age, exists throughout life. However, no attempt has been made to compare ageist attitudes across the life cycle, from young adulthood to old age. Consequently, the current study examined age and gender differences in ageism throughout adulthood. METHODS 955 Israeli participants (age range: 18-98 years) were divided into three age-groups: young (18-39), middle-aged (40-67), and old (68-98), and were administered the Fraboni Scale of Ageism. Age and gender differences were examined both for the three groups and for subgroups within the older adult cohort. RESULTS Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that middle-aged participants were significantly more ageist than younger and older groups. Across all age groups, men exhibited more avoidance and stereotypical attitudes toward older adults than women. Among the old age group, participants aged 81-98 held more ageist stereotypes and reported more avoidance of older adults than those aged 68-73. Within the older adult cohort, gender was a significant predictor for ageist attitudes among those aged 68-73 and 81-98, but not for people aged 74-80. CONCLUSIONS Ageism demonstrates a changing pattern across the life span. While gender differences remain stable, ageist attitudes toward growing old as we age ourselves are constantly changing. In order to gain a better understanding of ageism as a general and global phenomenon, we need to consider the role of such attitudes in different stages of life.

Cross-cultural ageism: ageism and attitudes toward aging among Jews and Arabs in Israel.

BACKGROUND While it is generally agreed that traditional societies are more favorable toward their elders, research findings have been inconsistent. Accordingly, this study presents a cultural comparison between Jews and Arabs in Israel in attitudes toward older adults and personal views regarding ones own aging. It was assumed that Arabs would rate their culture as more tolerant toward older adults, would report spending more time with them, and express lower ageism and aging anxieties. METHOD We examined 154 native Israeli citizens, 86 Jewish and 68 Muslim Arabs, who completed measures of ageism, aging anxieties, and cultural views of older adults. RESULTS Arabs rated their culture as more tolerant toward their elders, perceived older adults as significantly more contributing to society, and reported engaging in less avoiding behaviors toward them. Arabs also exhibited less general fears of growing old and concerns over ones physical appearance in old age. But it was interesting to note that Arab women reported higher scores of aging anxieties and ageist attitudes in comparison to Arab men, whereas no such differences were found among Jews. CONCLUSIONS Our findings point that the cultural importance of elders for the Arab cohort transcends beyond Westernization processes which affect the Arab society in Israel, and reflect the demanding role of Arab women as primary caregivers for the elders in the family. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.

Loneliness and depressive symptoms among older adults: The moderating role of subjective life expectancy

Loneliness and depressive symptoms are closely related, and both are indicators of reduced physical and mental well-being in old age. In recent years, the subjective perception of how long an individual expects to live (subjective life expectancy) has gained importance as a significant predictor of future psychological functioning, as well as of physical health. The current study examined whether subjective life expectancy moderates the connection between loneliness and depressive symptoms in a representative sample of older adults. Data was collected from the Israeli component of the fifth wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-Israel). Participants (n=2210; mean age=70.35) completed measures of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and life expectancy target age. A hierarchical regression analysis predicting depressive symptoms yielded a significant interaction of loneliness and subjective life expectancy. Further analyses demonstrated that low subjective life expectancy mitigated the loneliness-depressive symptoms connection. Findings are discussed in light of the potential burden of higher subjective life expectancy for lonesome older adults, and practical implications are suggested.

Ageist attitudes block young adults’ ability for compassion toward incapacitated older adults

BACKGROUND Upon encountering older adults, individuals display varying degrees of prosocial attitudes and behaviors. While some display compassion and empathy, others draw away and wish to maintain their distance from them. The current study examined if and how ageist attitudes influence the association between the sight of physical incapacity in older age and compassionate reactions toward them. We predicted that ageist attitudes would interfere with the ability to respond to them with compassion. METHODS Young adults (N = 149, ages 19-29) were randomly distributed into two experimental conditions, each viewing a short video portraying different aspects of older adult physicality; one group viewed older adults displaying incapacitated behavior, and the other viewed fit behavior. Participants subsequently filled out scales assessing aging anxieties, and ageist and compassionate attitudes. RESULTS Ageism was associated with reduced compassion toward the figures. Moreover, viewing incapacitated older adults led to increased concern toward them and perceived efficacy in helping them. However, significant interactions proved that higher scores of ageism in response to the videos led to increased need for distance and reduced efficacy toward incapacitated adults, an effect not observed among subjects with lower ageism scores. CONCLUSIONS Ageism seems to be a factor which disengages individuals from older adults displaying fragility, leading them to disregard social norms which dictate compassion. The results are discussed from the framework of terror management theory, as increased mortality salience and death-related thoughts could have led to the activation of negative attitudes which, in turn, reduce compassion.

The link between death anxiety and post-traumatic symptomatology during terror: Direct links and possible moderators

The current wave of terrorism which is taking place in Israel is characterized by increased arbitrary attacks by individual terrorists, acting independently, with reduced ability to anticipate when and where the next attack will take place. This situation creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in the lives of many citizens. Accordingly, the current study aims to establish a connection between death anxiety and PTSD symptom severity, as well as to examine whether major personality characteristics may moderate this connection. Using an online survey, 429 adult participants were recruited, and filled out death anxiety and PTSD symptomatology scales, as well as a short version of the Big Five personality scale. Findings revealed that death anxiety was a significant predictor of posttraumatic symptom severity, as were personality characteristics. Moreover, two personality traits, emotional stability and conscientiousness, moderated the association between death anxiety and PTSD symptomatology. The importance of death anxiety as a factor which is associated with PTSD symptomatology is discussed.

The power of national music in reducing prejudice and enhancing theory of mind among Jews and Arabs in Israel

Ethnic groups use music to promote in-group favoritism and values, but also to enhance intergroup closeness and understanding. The current study examined whether national music, often used for emphasizing intergroup separateness, can also reduce prejudice and promote theory of mind among two groups in conflict, Jews and Arabs in Israel. More specifically, the study examined whether removing a national song from its conflictual context, and introducing it in a manner which emphasizes out-group familiarity, enhances mentalization and positive attitudes between groups. Arab/Jewish women (N = 254) were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to one of two types of national Israeli songs, a Holocaust Day song (HDS), which is not associated with the Israeli-Arab conflict, or a Memorial Day song (MDS), which is aired only on days of remembrance for Israel’s fallen soldiers, sung by either a Jewish or an Arab singer. The results demonstrated that exposure to a HDS enhanced theory of mind when it is sung by an Arab singer. Moreover, Arabs who heard the HDS demonstrated reduced prejudice against Jews, when compared with the MDS. The results demonstrate that national songs, which may be the epitome of in-group favoritism, can be used for promoting theory of mind even among adversarial groups.

The connection between subjective nearness-to-death and depressive symptoms: The mediating role of meaning in life

Depression is characterized by a wide range of emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms. Two prominent features of depressive symptoms are a sense that life has no meaning on the one hand, and that life is not worth living on the other hand. In recent years, the subjective perception of how close one feels to his/her death has gained importance as a significant factor associated with various aspects of physical and psychological well-being. Thus, the current study examined the connection between subjective nearness-to-death, meaning in life, and depressive symptoms, and assessed whether meaning in life mediates the connection between subjective nearness-to-death and depressive symptoms. Data was collected from 268 participants between the ages of 28 and 74 (mean age = 46.75), who completed measures of subjective nearness-to-death, meaning in life, and depressive symptoms. Results yielded a significant positive connection between subjective nearness-to-death and depressive symptoms, as well as a negative connection between meaning in life and depressive symptoms. Moreover, meaning in life was found to mediate the connection between subjective nearness-to-death and depressive symptoms. Findings are discussed in light of the Terror Management Theory, and potential clinical implications are suggested.

Disability during military service in Israel: raising awareness of gender differences

Women in Israel are required by law to serve in the national army. While disabled women veterans constitute about 6% of the total disabled veteran population, their injuries during service are similar to those of men, and include injuries sustained during combat, in training, or in traffic accidents. To date, no attempt has been made to study this unique population. The current research employs the social model of disability and examines gender differences among Israeli Defense Forces veterans who became disabled during their military service, in the areas of mental and physical health, perceived stigma, and social support. Findings show that disabled women veterans report significantly lower social support, lower monthly salaries, and experience more discrimination than their male counterparts. No differences were found in other variables. This research is an important step toward raising the awareness of gender differences, and its findings stress the need for additional studies which will provide further information regarding this distinctive population.