Evacuation saved from missiles, but took a mental toll: Study on teenagers in the Gaza envelope

Teenagers evacuated from their homes during the Iron Swords War reported higher levels of depression and stress compared to their peers who were not evacuated, even though the non-evacuated group also lived under a constant security threat. This is according to a new study conducted at the University of Haifa and published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology.

Among the evacuated teenagers, very high levels of depression and stress were found on average, compared to levels higher than the norm among teenagers who remained in their homes. According to the researchers, the findings indicate that the evacuation itself may be associated with additional emotional distress, beyond the impact of living under the threat of war.

"The comparison between two groups that experienced the same war allows us to see that the evacuation itself is associated with additional emotional distress," said Prof. Noam Weinbach from the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Haifa, one of the study's leaders. "While the evacuation removes teenagers from immediate danger, it seems that leaving home, the loss of routine, and uncertainty are associated with higher levels of depression and stress."

Leaving home — and remaining in uncertainty

During the war, thousands of teenagers were evacuated from communities in the north of the country and the Gaza envelope. The evacuation removed them from danger zones, but forced them to leave their homes, their routines, and sometimes the community in which they lived — for a period that was unclear when it would end.

According to the researchers, in studies dealing with the effects of displacement following a war, it is usually difficult to isolate the effect of the evacuation itself, because it is sometimes accompanied by additional changes such as moving to another country, economic difficulties, separation from family, or damage to access to education and health services.

The current study aimed to examine whether evacuation from home has a connection to additional emotional distress among teenagers, beyond the impact of living under a security threat, and also to check the connection between the distress and the ability to regulate emotions and cope with uncertainty.

198 teenagers participated in the study

198 Israeli teenagers aged 14 to 18 participated in the study, who were examined between February and May 2024 — four to eight months after the outbreak of the war.

Half of the participants were evacuated along with their families from communities near the Gaza Strip border and the northern border. The other half lived outside the evacuation zones, but were also exposed to shooting threats and fighting.

Both groups were similar in key characteristics, including age, gender, socio-economic status, and the degree of social support. The participants filled out online questionnaires that examined symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, alongside difficulties in emotional regulation and coping with uncertainty.

Depression and stress — but not anxiety

The results of the study show that teenagers in both groups suffered from levels of depression, anxiety, and stress higher than the norm. However, the gap between the groups was expressed mainly in higher levels of depression and stress among the evacuated teenagers.

Regarding anxiety, no significant difference was found between the groups.

It was also found that the evacuated teenagers had more difficulty in regulating emotions and coping with uncertainty. The more severe these difficulties were, the higher the emotional distress found.

According to the researchers, the difficulties in emotional regulation and coping with uncertainty may explain part of the connection between the evacuation and the emotional distress. However, they emphasize that the study does not allow for determining that this is a causal link.

The researchers believe that the findings may help in adapting the response for teenagers evacuated from their homes. "The study's findings indicate that the response for evacuated teenagers should focus not only on symptoms of depression and stress, but also on the ability to cope with difficult emotions and ongoing uncertainty," the researchers said. "These may be central focuses for emotional assistance during the evacuation period and afterwards."