Loneliness and isolation in life-stories of Israeli veterans of combat and captivity

Psychological Trauma : Theory, Research, Practice and Policy
Jacob Y Stein, Rivka Tuval-Mashiach

Abstract

Loneliness holds detrimental ramifications for health and well-being. Nevertheless, loneliness references in the literature addressing combat-related trauma are few. Consequentially, the qualities and characteristics of such experiences in these posttraumatic realities remain uninvestigated empirically. In the current qualitative study we began filling this gap in the literature. We utilized thematic content analysis of life-stories of 19 combat veterans and 7 ex-POWs that have given testimony at the Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War (NATAL). Our findings suggest that the loneliness in the contexts at hand is primarily characterized by a sense of experiential isolation, rather than social, emotional, or existential. This is the sensation that due to the extraordinary nature of traumatic experiences the fulfillment of needs such as empathy and intersubjectivity may be unattainable. Integrating our findings with existing interdisciplinary literature regarding social sharing, trauma, and loneliness, we discuss implications for clinical interventions and further research.

Citations

Feb 26, 2016·Journal of Trauma & Dissociation : the Official Journal of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD)·Jacob Y SteinZahava Solomon
Dec 6, 2016·Journal of Trauma & Dissociation : the Official Journal of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD)·Laura CromptonZahava Solomon
Dec 14, 2017·Qualitative Health Research·Gabriele KitzmüllerTerese Bondas
Mar 6, 2018·Military Medical Research·Rebecca A JohnsonNathan Harms
Jan 11, 2020·Occupational Medicine·A Reijnen, J Duel
Aug 4, 2020·Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology·Christine JuangChristine E Gould
Jan 25, 2017·Psychology, Health & Medicine·JohnBosco Chika ChukwuorjiOkechukwu Hope Ekeh
Jul 17, 2018·Frontiers in Psychology·Travon S JohnsonGilly Koritzky
Nov 22, 2018·Psychology & Health·Noga TsurZahava Solomon
Dec 15, 2018·Occupational Medicine·G WilsonM D Kiernan
Aug 14, 2019·Psychiatry·Yael Dagan, Joel Yager
Oct 10, 2020·Journal of Affective Disorders·Marianne Skogbrott BirkelandSiri Thoresen
Jan 21, 2020·Journal of Affective Disorders·Noga TsurZahava Solomon
May 3, 2019·The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease·Yael Dagan, Joel Yager
May 21, 2021·Health Security·Leia Y SaltzmanPatrick S Bordnick
Jul 13, 2021·Frontiers in Psychology·Ami RokachAlison Rose

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