Trauma in military and civilian settings

Previous works on clinical populations have indicated that trauma experienced in military settings is characterized by a higher prevalence of PTSD, intensity of post-traumatic symptoms, and psychological distress than trauma experienced in a civilian setting. The present study was designed to compare these reactions to military and civilian trauma in a non-clinical population in Israel of 140 males, aged 25–45. The results showed that responses following exposure to civilian traumas were characterized by higher levels in all indicators examined, as compared with responses to military trauma exposure. The findings of this study broaden our knowledge with regard to emotional reactions to both kinds of trauma in Israel and emphasize the uniqueness of Israeli society and the special place of military and civilian traumas therein.