Ethnocultural disparities in loneliness among women in Israel: A population-based study.

Loneliness was predicted for women in three ethnocultural groups in Israel: native Jews, Israeli Arabs, and Former Soviet Union (FSU) immigrants. The study was based on Lund et al.'s (2018) conceptualization of social determinant domains of mental health disorders, as in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Social determinants were demographic, economic, social-cultural, and neighborhood factors. We examined whether ethnocultural disparities in loneliness persist when controlling for social determinants in these four domains or whether ethnic disparities are related to other forms of inequality among the three study groups, as reflected in these four domains. Next, we explored associations between the co-occurrence of key social determinants with loneliness. We used cross-sectional representative data of working-age women from the Israeli Social Survey (N = 5,600). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated a higher risk for loneliness among FSU immigrants and Israeli Arabs than among native Jews. Economic risk factors significantly increased the risk of loneliness. Social and cultural factors decreased the risk of loneliness, while discrimination increased it. Improved neighborhood conditions decreased the risk of loneliness. Ethnocultural disparities in loneliness diminished when economic determinants were controlled. Co-occurrence of risk factors greatly increased the risk for loneliness, demonstrating a stepped relationship. Developing supportive networks for women, mainly from minority groups, to increase trust and fight discrimination against any background is necessary. Moreover, significant efforts must be made to combat poverty and narrow socioeconomic inequalities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Unveiling the role of residential care in care leavers' personal development and life outcomes.

In the current quantitative study, we explored the perceived contribution of residential care (PCRC) to multiple life domains and the factors associated with these perceptions from three main stages in Israelis' care leavers' lives: precare, in care, and postcare. Drawing on a representative sample of 2,295 care leavers' retrospective reports, integrated with their longitudinal administrative records, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis and identified two constructs pertaining to participants' PCRC. The first focused on contribution to personal development, and the second on contribution to achieving tangible and intangible life outcomes. In-care experiences of peer and staff support were strong predictors of both perceived personal development and life outcomes. Only a few precare factors and none of the postcare factors were predictive of PCRC. Specifically, PCRC was lower among men compared with women. Additionally, compared to Israeli-born participants, PCRC to personal development was lower among Ethiopian immigrants but higher in the life outcomes domain. PCRC was also higher in both domains among participants whose parents had a criminal conviction. In the Discussion section, we highlight the importance of understanding care leavers' perceptions in relation to different life course stages. Implications for policy and practice in care and postcare are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Ethnic inequality between Arabs and Jews in Israel in global life satisfaction: A social determinants examination among young adults.

Global life satisfaction (GLS), a core construct of subjective well-being, plays a vital role in positive development among young adults. Persistent inequality in subjective well-being across minority versus majority groups is a growing public health concern. However, research evidence on the minority-majority disparity in GLS among representative samples of young adults is scarce. Based on national data from Israel (N = 2,405), this study examines (a) the association of multiple forms of economic (not in education, employment, or training status, subjective socioeconomic status indicators), social-relational (trust, discrimination, loneliness), and environmental determinants (neighborhood conditions) with GLS among young adults from a minority-majority (Israeli Arabs-Israeli Jews) perspective; (b) whether minority-majority disparity in GLS can be explained by differential health returns for the determinants considered across participants from the two groups; (c) whether minority-majority disparities in GLS persist when controlling for these determinants, suggesting the effect of ethnicity per se. Significant disparities in GLS by ethnicity were found, with young Arab adults far less likely to be satisfied or very satisfied with their lives. Hierarchical logistic regression indicated that economic, social-relational, and environmental determinants shape GLS, but these factors do not eliminate the adverse effect of minority status on GLS. While social-relational and environmental factors uniformly affect GLS across minority and majority participants, economic factors were less influential among the Arab minority, suggesting lower health returns for economic resources among young Arab adults. Implications for policies aimed at promoting health equity and social justice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Labor market position among care leavers and their matched peers: A longitudinal comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The adverse labor market experience of care leavers is well-documented. Care leavers lag behind their peers in the general population in all employment aspects and even fall short compared to young people from low-income families. Yet, there are only very few comparative longitudinal studies on care leavers' relative labor market position (LMP). OBJECTIVES: To examine and predict: (1) LMP, an integrative measure of labor market connectedness and earning level, among care leavers and a matched comparison group from age 22 to 34; (2) gender differences in LMP among care leavers and their same-sex matched peers. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were alumni of youth villages in Israel from 13 consecutive birth cohorts (20,758) and a double-sized matched comparison group (41,510). METHODS: Based on longitudinal administrative records bivariate analyses examined differences in age-related LMP between care leavers and their matched peers. Gender-stratified analyses were also performed. A multilevel multinomial model predicted LMP throughout the age span. RESULTS: Care leavers were less likely than their matched peers to be disconnected from employment. The rate of low-wage earners was similar in the two groups. Male care leavers performed better than their matched peers, while female care leavers performed worse than their matched peers. Controlling for pre-care factors, in-care and post-care achievements and experiences, both men and women care leavers performed better than their matched peers. CONCLUSIONS: Labor market connectedness and relative earning progression are shaped by pre-care factors, in-care and post-care achievements and experiences. Three sub-groups of care leavers and similar young people were identified based on their characteristics.

Inequality in psychological distress among young adults: An integrative model of economic, social, and environmental determinants.

Differences in economic, social, and environmental circumstances lead to systematic and unfair health inequalities. Yet, this inequality is modifiable. Drawing on the social determinants approach to health this study explored: (a) the association between economic, social-relational, and environmental stressors with psychological distress (PD) among a representative sample of young adults in Israel (N = 2,407); (b) the collective impact of these multiple stressors on PD and the extent to which the co-occurrence of stressors demonstrated a stepped relationship with PD. Social determinants included subjective poverty, perceived income adequacy, material deprivation indices, social trust, trust in institutions, perceived discrimination, loneliness, and indicators for the quality of the neighborhood environment. Bivariate analysis was used to assess associations between economic, social-relational, and environmental stressors with PD. Hierarchical linear regressions, estimated to predict PD, showed that the social determinants shaped PD in young adulthood, with each stressor domain making a distinct contribution to explaining PD. Subjective poverty, material deprivation, and loneliness were particularly detrimental. Social determinants were additive, constituting cumulative stressors that convey increased risk for young adults' mental well-being. The findings suggest that health inequality can be reduced by directly addressing its social determinants. Although important, improved access to social and mental health services alone is unlikely to relieve the burden of PD and its adverse consequences both for individual suffering and at the national level. Broader and combined policy measures are required to combat poverty and deprivation, discrimination, lack of trust, and loneliness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Perceived Job Performance of Child Welfare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

While the evidence on the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of frontline social workers is emerging, the research on the impact of the pandemic on their performance is scarce. The presented study explores how the relationship between work environment predictors and perceived stress explains the job performance of child welfare social workers during the pandemic using survey responses of 878 child welfare social workers. The findings revealed the mechanism through which environment predictors and perceived stress interacted in explaining job performance during a time of large-scale crisis. We found that C.W. social workers who experienced greater COVID-19-related service restrictions reported poorer job performance, that perceived stress disrupted workers' supervision and autonomy, and that supervision and job autonomy protected C.W. social workers from the adverse effects of perceived stress and workload on their job performance. Conclusions included the importance of autonomy and supervision in mitigating job-related stressors and the need to adapt and enhance child welfare supervision during times of national crisis.

Labor force attachment among care leavers in Israel: A longitudinal cross-sequential between-groups design.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the long-term labor force attachment (LFA) of care leavers and how they compare with similar youth. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to: (1) examine LFA from age 21 to 34 among care leavers and a comparison group; (2) explain variability in age-related LFA. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Two groups were studied: all alumni of 14 consecutive birth cohorts (1982-1995) of care leavers of youth villages in Israel (22,670) and a double-sized matched comparison group drawn from the corresponding cohorts in the general population (45,340). METHODS: The study is based on a longitudinal cross-sequential between-groups design. The dataset integrates an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records. Descriptive statistic was used to describe and compare care leavers and their matched peers, in terms of background and achievements. Bivariate analyses examined differences in age-related LFA between care leavers and their matched peers. A multilevel multinomial model was employed to predict LFA levels throughout the age span. RESULTS: In terms of achievements, care leavers show poorer educational attainment, greater reliance on social welfare services and experienced more difficulties during the mandatory military service. The rate of care leavers strongly connected to the labor market gradually increased as they grew older, reaching to about 65 % by age 34, whereas the rate of those disconnected from the labor market decreased with age, standing on 19 % by age 34. Care leavers had stronger LFA than their matched peers during their entire 20's, and similar levels thereafter. Multiple factors (e.g., family background, educational attainments) were associated with different levels of LFA. CONCLUSIONS: Differential policy measures, while in-care and afterward, are needed to address care leavers' variability in labor market experience.

Life satisfaction among alumni of youth villages in Israel: A life course perspective.

Empirical evidence on life satisfaction of care leavers is scant and often based on small and nonrepresentative samples. Based on the life course perspective, this study explored the role of objective and subjective factors in explaining life satisfaction among care leavers, both general and domain-specific (work-financial-housing, social relationships-emotional state). The sample was randomly drawn from the whole population of eight graduating birth cohorts of alumni of educational residential care in Israel and consists of 2, 295 alumni (24-31 years old). The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews. Bivariate analysis and multiple regression models were used to assess associations between precare context, in-care and postcare experiences and achievements with general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Gender differences were found in both domain-specific life satisfactions with men having greater satisfaction. Family background indicators were generally more predictive of general and social relationships- emotional state satisfaction. In-care experiences of peer and staff support and postcare experience of material deprivation were strong predictors of general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Postcare contacts with care staff, surprisingly, were associated with lower general satisfaction and satisfaction with social relationships-emotional state. Higher educational attainment at the end of placement and integration into postsecondary education were associated with greater general and work-financial-housing satisfaction. The effects of in-care preparation for independent adult living, employment and parenthood are not consistent across different domains of life satisfaction. Implications for policy and practice during and after care are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Perceived poverty, perceived income adequacy and loneliness in Israeli young adults: Are social capital and neighbourhood capital resilience factors?

Loneliness is a severe risk factor that has been linked to diminished health outcomes and low quality of life across ages. Young adults have been identified as a high-risk group for experiencing loneliness, but only a few studies have explored the economic and social determinants of loneliness in this age group. Taking a social inequality approach to health, with loneliness as a focus, this study examined: (a) the associations between the following factors - subjective social status (SSS) indicators (perceived poverty and perceived income adequacy), offline and online social capital, and neighbourhood capital - and loneliness; and (2) whether social and neighbourhood capital were moderators in the association between SSS and loneliness. Cross-sectional data for individuals aged 20-29 were taken from the 2017 Israeli Social Survey (N = 1,508). Employing multinomial logit models, we found that perceived poverty was a strong predictor of loneliness. Greater social and neighbourhood capital decreased loneliness, whereas a higher use of online social networks increased loneliness. Neighbourhood capital and perceived trust were moderators, whereas trust was a resilience factor, neighbourhood capital strengthened the negative effect of perceived poverty on loneliness. To reduce the prevalence of loneliness in young adults, policymakers should examine various means of enhancing social and neighbourhood capital along with moderating the use of online social networks. However, they should be aware that interventions of this kind can do little to buffer the strong effect of perceived poverty on loneliness, as in most cases the effect of perceived poverty on the probability of loneliness is not ameliorated by improved social or neighbourhood resources.

Gender Differences in Psychosocial Outcomes of Hair Loss Resulting from Childhood Irradiation for Tinea Capitis.

Recent studies have linked hair loss due to childhood irradiation for tinea capitis, a fungal infection of the scalp, to adverse psychosocial and health outcomes in women. However, no study to date has examined gender differences in the outcomes of this type of hair loss. The current study aimed to investigate gender differences in health and psychosocial outcomes of hair loss resulting from childhood irradiation for tinea capitis, and to identify the risk factors associated with depression in both men and women. Medical records held at the archives of the Israel National Center for Compensation of Scalp Ringworm Victims were retrospectively reviewed for 217 women and 105 men who received maximum disability compensation due to severe hair loss resulting from irradiation for tinea capitis. We found that women were at increased risk of developing psychosocial symptoms, including depression. Gender emerged as a significant predictor of depression, distinct from other predictors, such as marital status, age at radiation, exposure to verbal and physical bullying, low self-esteem, social anxiety, and physical health problems. Thus, the psychosocial needs of patients, particularly female patients, who were irradiated for tinea capitis during childhood need to be taken into account by the healthcare professionals treating them.

An ethnocultural perspective on loneliness in young adulthood: A population-based study in Israel.

Young adults are a high-risk group for experiencing loneliness. We examine (1) the prevalence of loneliness among young adults in three ethnocultural groups in Israel: native Jews, former Soviet Union immigrants and Arabs; (2) the associations between loneliness and ethnicity, perceived poverty, physical and mental health, perceived discrimination, social capital and online social capital; (3) the distinct sensitivity of the three ethnocultural groups to the determinants of loneliness. Cross-sectional representative data for individuals aged 20-34 were taken from the 2016 to 2017 Israeli Social Surveys (N = 4253). Hierarchical logistic models were estimated to predict loneliness. Differences in the prevalence of loneliness were observed among the groups, with immigrants at higher risk. We found both common and distinct risk factors among the groups and only little evidence for moderation. Ethnic differences in loneliness between the native Jews and the Arabs can be ascribed to differences in their demographic characteristics and the prevalence of other risk factors. The risk for loneliness remained higher for immigrants after controlling for the entire set of risk factors. Eliminating the possibility that immigrants are more sensitive to any risk factor considered suggests the effect of ethnicity per se or rather that other factors affect loneliness in young immigrant adults.

Unemployment and Psychological Distress among Young People during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Psychological Resources and Risk Factors.

In the wake of COVID-19, unemployment and its potential deleterious consequences have attracted renewed interest. We examined (1) the association between unemployment, occurring upon the coronavirus outbreak, and psychological distress among Israeli young people (20-35-years-old); (2) the associations between various psychological resources/risk factors and psychological distress; and (3) whether these resources and risk factors were moderators in the unemployment-psychological distress link. A real-time survey based on snowball sampling was conducted during the month of April 2020 (N = 390). We employed hierarchical linear models to explore associations between unemployment, psychological resources, risk factors, and psychological distress. Unemployment was independently associated with greater psychological distress. Perceived trust, optimism, and sense of mastery decreased psychological distress, whereas financial strain and loneliness during the crisis increased this distress. The effect of unemployment on psychological distress did not depend on participants' resource and risk factor levels. Policymakers must develop and extend health initiatives aimed at alleviating the mental health consequences of COVID-19-related unemployment and promote labor market interventions to help young job seekers integrate into employment. These measures, which are in line with the UN sustainable development goals, should be seen as an important route to promote public health.

Determinants of Bone Mineral Screening Behavior among Three Ethno-Cultural Groups of Women in Israel.

Bone mineral density (BMD) screening is one of the main means to detect and treat osteoporosis. Yet, the manner in which ethno-cultural background is associated with BMD health cognitions and screening behavior remains limited. Several ethno-cultural groups (n = 100 in each group)-Israeli-born Jews, Israeli-born Bedouin-Muslims, and Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU), mean age 70 (SD = 7.1)-participated in face-to-face interviews in a cross-sectional survey, using valid and reliable questionnaires on BMD screening behavior, knowledge about osteoporosis, and theory of planned behavior (TPB) components. FSU immigrants reported the lowest BMD screening behavior. The multivariate analysis showed that higher knowledge level, positive attitudes, supportive subjective norms, and greater intentions increase the probability of BMD screening behavior. The TPB attitude component had a more pronounced effect on the probability of undergoing BMD screening among Israeli-born Bedouin-Muslims compared to Israeli-born Jews. Our findings contribute to the TPB by deepening our understanding of the associations between TPB components and BMD screening behaviors, from an ethno-cultural perspective. To assure sufficient BMD screening behavior among all ethno-cultural groups, intervention programs-suited to address the unique characteristics of each ethno-cultural group-are required.

CB-Art Interventions Implemented with Mental Health Professionals Working in a Shared War Reality: Transforming Negative Images and Enhancing Coping Resources.

Research on mental health professionals (MHPs) exposed to a shared war reality indicates that they are subject to emotional distress, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, and vicarious trauma. This article focuses on a CB-ART (cognitive behavioral and art-based) intervention implemented during the 2014 Gaza conflict with 51 MHPs who shared war-related experiences with their clients. The intervention included drawing pictures related to three topics: (1) war-related stressors, (2) coping resources, and (3) integration of the stressful image and the resources drawing. The major aims of the study were (1) to examine whether significant changes occurred in MHP distress levels after the intervention; (2) to explore the narratives of the three drawing and their compositional characteristics; and (3) to determine which of selected formats of the integrated drawing and compositional transformations of the stressful image are associated with greater distress reduction. Results indicate that MHP distress levels significantly decreased after the intervention. This stress-reducing effect was also reflected in differences between the compositional elements of the 'stress drawing' and the 'integrated drawing,' which includes elements of resources. Reduced distress accompanied compositional transformations of the stressful image. MHPs can further use the easily implemented intervention described here as a coping tool in other stressful situations.

Socio-economic status, self-rated health and mental health: the mediation effect of social participation on early-late midlife and older adults.

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status (SES) is a major determinant of diverse health outcomes, among these are self-rated-health and mental health. Yet the mechanisms underlying the SES-health relation are not fully explored. Socioeconomic inequalities in health and mental health may form along several pathways. One is social participation which is linked to better self-rated-health and mental health. We examined (1) whether various social participation practices, including the usage of information and communication technology, relate to a unidimensional or multidimensional phenomenon (2) the relationship among SES, social participation, self-rated-health and mental health; (3) whether social participation and mental health mediates the association between SES and self-rated-health; (4) whether social participation and self-rated-health mediates the links between SES and mental health. METHOD: Cross-sectional data for individuals aged 35 and older were taken from the Israeli Social Survey for 2016 (N = 4848). Social participation practices included connection with family and friends, self-perceived-support, self-perceived trust, volunteering, civic and political involvement, and information and communication technology usage. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted for all social participation practices. We then constructed structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to explore paths of relations among SES, social participation, self-rated-health and mental health. RESULTS: We found disparities in self-rated health and mental health across SES. Social participation practice, 'frequency of meeting with friends', mediated the links between SES-self-rated health and SES-mental health. Formal social participation practices along with internet usage mediated the SES- self-rated health link. Informal social participation practices and self-perceived trust mediated the SES-mental health link. Mental health mediated the SES- self-rated health link and self-rated health mediated the SES-mental health link. CONCLUSION: The links between SES and the two health constructs were enhanced by common and distinct social participation practices. Enhancement of social participation practices among low SES individuals is recommended. Social participation should be a prominent aspect of preventive medicine practice and health promotion interventions. Policy makers are called to support such programs as an important way to promote public health.