Papers by Orna Braun-Lewensohn
Archives of Women's Mental Health, 2023
The study aimed to explore barriers to mental health service attainment among Bedouin women livin... more The study aimed to explore barriers to mental health service attainment among Bedouin women living in different residential environments in southern Israel. We hypothesized that emotional distress and the utilization of mental health services would be influenced by the living environment and ethnic identity factors. The sample included 376 Arab-Bedouin women, 126 Arab-Bedouin women from the recognized and unrecognized villages, and 250 Arab-Bedouin women from the central localities. Quantitative methods were used, including emotional distress (GHQ12), ethnic identity scale (EIS), mental health literacy (MHLS), and barriers to mental health services attainment (BACE). Results indicated that participants from the central localities demonstrated a greater inclination to seek and utilize mental health services. Furthermore, higher rates of affirmation of ethnic identity were also found to be a predictive factor for the willingness to attain mental health services. These findings further support the role of residential environment and ethnic identity in shaping mental health service utilization patterns. Current research explored barriers to mental health services seek and attainment for Arab-Bedouin women in different residential environments in southern Israel. Ethnic identity factors and barriers such as stigma and access to resources predicted the tendency to seek help. Findings emphasize the need to address barriers to seeking help and the role of ethnic identity in mental health service attainment for Arab-Bedouin women.
Archive of Women's Mental Health, 2023
Over the past two decades, increasing numbers of Bedouin Arab and ultra-Orthodox women have been ... more Over the past two decades, increasing numbers of Bedouin Arab and ultra-Orthodox women have been integrated into the Israeli labor market. The integration of these women from traditional and minority communities into the general workforce involves significant coping on the practical, social, and emotional levels. This study examined factors that may facilitate the integration of college-educated Bedouin Arab and ultra-Orthodox women in the Israeli labor market. The sample included 304 ultra-Orthodox women and 105 Bedouin Arab women, who were employed in a variety of fields. Participants completed questionnaires designed to collect data on demographics, sense of personal coherence (SOC), family quality of life, sense of community coherence (SOCC), diversity climate, inclusive management, job satisfaction, and well-being. The ultra-Orthodox women reported higher levels of most of the resources; whereas the Bedouin Arab women reported higher levels only of inclusive management. Hierarchical regressions showed that income, SOC, and inclusive management each contributed significantly to job satisfaction. Levels of well-being were explained by SOC, family quality of life, and inclusive management. This study highlights the importance of individual, familial, and organizational resources for the integration into the workforce of female members of minority groups.
International Journal of Social Psychiatry
Background:Many studies show that members of minority groups underutilize mental health services ... more Background:Many studies show that members of minority groups underutilize mental health services and report more barriers to such utilization than majority groups. However, very little is known about these barriers and their relation to mental health service use among the Palestinian-Arab minority in Israel.Aims:This study examined barriers to mental health service use in this population based on the stigma-related, attitudinal, and instrumental barriers dimensions of the Barriers to Care Evaluation scale (BACE v3) and its correlates to mental health service use.Methods:The participants were a convenience sample of 231 Palestinian Arabs. They completed measures of BACE v3, mental health service use, and sociodemographic characteristics.Results:The findings showed that participants who reported using mental health services had lower levels of barriers in all dimensions compared to those who did not use such services. Attitudinal barriers were found to be the main determinants of ment...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted more than two years and included seve... more Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted more than two years and included several waves, the present study focused on Jewish communities around the world, in order to understand the role of community during the pandemic. This study focused on the community mechanisms that helped community members to cope with the pandemic. To that end, between October 2021 and July 2022, in-person interviews were conducted with leaders and members of the following communities: Budapest, Hungary; Subotica, Serbia; Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Vilna, Lithuania; Buenos Aires, Rosario, Salta, and Ushuaia in Argentina; and Mexico City and Cancun in Mexico. Each interview lasted between 45 min and 1.5 h. All of the interviews were audio-recorded and transcripts of those recordings were prepared. Three major themes emerged from the interviews: challenges, coping, and opportunities. Most of these themes were common to the different communities around the world. The findings of t...
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
PurposeCultural variance represents a significant challenge to policy designers and, in practice,... more PurposeCultural variance represents a significant challenge to policy designers and, in practice, to employers in the varied employment spaces. Providing workplace accessibility for the integration of various cultural groups requires deep thinking and creating unique possibilities for each group in accord with its particular heritage. Ultra-Orthodox society in Israel is a religious minority group that has undergone significant changes, from a desire to maintain total separation, to gradual integration into a variety of areas in Israeli society. In light of these changes, we sought to examine what policies should be adopted in order to improve ultra- Orthodox integration.Design/methodology/approachMethodologically, we examined the cultural variance of ultra-Orthodox academics in their workplace using combined methods. The study included 745 ultra-Orthodox academics who responded to an online questionnaire that examined the issue in question from various aspects. In addition, four foc...
Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2021
Background: Against the backdrop of 10 years of civil war in Syria, with millions of refugees, th... more Background: Against the backdrop of 10 years of civil war in Syria, with millions of refugees, this study aimed to explore sense of community coherence and the acculturation strategies of integration and competition as factors that might explain mental-health problems among adolescent Syrian refugees in Greece. Methods: Data were gathered from 173 adolescents aged 13–18 (M = 15.85; SD = 1.49); female adolescents accounted for 60.7% of the sample. Participants filled out a self-reported questionnaire regarding internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They were also asked about their sense of community coherence, their use of different acculturation strategies, and sociodemographic factors (i.e., gender, age, amount of time spent in the camp, and parents’ education), as well as contextual factors such as exposure to war events, appraisal of danger, and whether they had received aid from various organizations. Results: The female adolescents reported a stronger sense of community coherence and that they had received more aid from organizations than the male adolescents reported receiving. The male adolescents reported more externalizing problems. Exposure and appraisal of danger, as well as sense of community coherence and the use of the acculturation strategies of separation and competition all significantly explained the various mental-health problems. Conclusions: This article underscores the significance of gender, community coherence, and acculturation strategies in the prediction of mental health. It presents the results of this research in the context of the salutogenic and acculturation models. Keywords:
Frontiers in Psychology, 2021
The aim of this study was to explore the coping resources of hope and sense of coherence, which a... more The aim of this study was to explore the coping resources of hope and sense of coherence, which are rooted in positive-psychology theory, as potential resilience factors that might reduce the emotional distress experienced by adults from three cultural groups in Israel during the chronic-stress situation of a pandemic. The three cultural groups examined were secular Jews, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Arabs. We compared these cultural groups during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, just before the Jewish New Year (mid-September 2020) as a second lockdown was announced. Data were gathered from 248 secular Jews, 243 Ultra-Orthodox Jews, and 203 Arabs, who were 18–70 years old (M = 37.14, SD = 12.62). The participants filled out self-reported questionnaires including the Brief Symptom Inventory as a measure of emotional/psychological distress (i.e., somatization, depression, and anxiety) and questionnaires about sense of coherence and different types of hope (i.e., intrapersonal, in...
Contemporary Social Science, 2017
ABSTRACT The main purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of guardians’ care, ... more ABSTRACT The main purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of guardians’ care, and peer support to psychological resilience. Three-hundred orphan adolescents (OAs) living in Dessie, Ethiopia, aged 12–20 (M = 15.5 ± 1.23), of which 165 (55%) were boys, filled out self-reported questionnaires, which included resilience, guardian care and peer support scales. Results show that the majority of the OA living in Dessie town are resilient. Older adolescents are more resilient than younger ones, and girls obtain more support from their peers compared to the boys. Age, guardian care and peer support were significantly positively related to resilience; together, they accounted for 35.6% of the explained variance. More specifically, peer support accounted for the highest proportion, followed by guardian care and age. The results of this study are discussed based on the cultural competence theory. The unique cultural context in which Ethiopian children grow up places many responsibilities on them, and thus moves them forward to become adults at a very early age. The experience of orphanhood could be an additional contributor to life experience which also serves as a strong resilience factor for the older group children. Practical implications will be offered to foster resilience among orphan and vulnerable adolescents in deprived areas.
Community Mental Health Journal, 2019
This study has explored how ultra-Orthodox individuals cope when facing secular norms and values ... more This study has explored how ultra-Orthodox individuals cope when facing secular norms and values in their work environment. The study was conducted in Israel, where 614 ultra-Orthodox adults answered questions regarding demographic characteristics, identities, openness to the workplace, social environment, Brief Cope, community sense of coherence (CSOC) and Employee Satisfaction Inventory. Individuals in the main sectors of the ultra-Orthodox society reported higher CSOC and stronger religiosity while individuals from the minor sectors reported greater openness to the job's social environment. Demographics, coping strategies and CSOC were significant in explaining job satisfaction. The results will be discussed based on stress and coping theories and on the salutogenic theory.
Psychiatry Research, 2019
This study aimed to examine coping resources (sense of coherence and hope) and stress reactions a... more This study aimed to examine coping resources (sense of coherence and hope) and stress reactions among Bedouin Arab adolescents in southern Israel during three periods of escalated political violence. Two main questions were examined: 1) Did adolescents report different coping resources and levels of stress reactions during these three different periods? 2) Were there any differences in the pattern of the associations between coping resources and stress reactions across those periods? Data were gathered from 81, 91, and 192 Bedouin Arab adolescents, who were 14-18 years old, during three periods. Participants completed self-report questionnaires including the sense of coherence (SOC) scale, a hope index, a measure or state anxiety and state anger, a measure of psychological distress, and a demographic questionnaire. Across the three periods, differences were observed in both coping resources and levels of stress reactions. Over time, SOC was found to be a significant predictor of those stress reactions; whereas the association between hope components and stress reactions weakened over time. These findings support the hypothesis that SOC is a significant component of coping with stressful political events and emphasize the importance of addressing differences in the roles of personal resources over time and transition processes.
Given that to date relatively little research has been carried out into the effects of ongoing te... more Given that to date relatively little research has been carried out into the effects of ongoing terrorist attacks with the emphasis on adolescents in urban areas, this study set out to investigate a wide range of self-reported emotional and behavioral outcomes among adolescents facing ongoing terrorism in both urban and rural locations in Israel. 913 adolescents aged twelve to eighteen years from four different locations in Israel who were exposed in different ways to terrorist attacks over a period of three years against the backdrop of ongoing terror are investigated to identify the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and related mental health problems by self-report measures, including Achenbach’s Youth Self-Report, the Brief Symptoms Inventory and a specially designed questionnaire covering Post Traumatic Stress and exposure to terror data. Around 90% of the adolescents experience mild to severe PTS, one fifth reported borderline or clinical emotional and behavioral problem...
Promoting Human Flourishing in Work, Health, Education, and Everyday Life, 2015
While the salutogenic theory stems from the sociology of health, it has been at the leading edge ... more While the salutogenic theory stems from the sociology of health, it has been at the leading edge of a range of academic movements emphasizing human strengths and not just weaknesses, human capacities and not just limits, well-being and not just illness. This chapter describes and explains the essence of the salutogenic conceptual framework developed by Antonovsky and to suggest it as a possible philosophical basis for the contemporary positive psychology movement. It explores the consequences of the dominance of the pathogenic paradigm in thinking, research, and intervention. The chapter also discusses the consequences of adopting a salutogenic paradigm. It emphasizes the basic idea of salutogenesis that the human condition is mainly chaotic. The chapter talks about Antonovsky's sense of coherence (SOC) construct, and illustrates how to measure the SOC both on the individual and collective levels.
Following a joint initiation by the Salutogenic Research Center at Ben Gurion University and a me... more Following a joint initiation by the Salutogenic Research Center at Ben Gurion University and a mental health center in southern Israel of an intervention program based on the salutogenic model for the mental health center's acute psychi-atric in-patient unit, the current qualitative sense of coherence-based assessment aimed at assessing the unit's needs for the purpose of developing the rationale and goals of the intervention. The intervention, subject to the current study's assess-ment, aims at creating a health promoting community focusing on the advancement of the staff's individual and collective Sense of Coherence (SOC). The questions addressed during the assessment were aimed at (a) identifying key working condi-tions and their relation to the three dimensions of SOC; (b) characterizing the SOC grouped working conditions; and (c) deriving recommendations for interventions. Meetings with the Unit's administrative and professional management were held and fi ...
World Journal of Psychiatry, 2021
BACKGROUND What factors affected the levels of anger and emotional distress experienced during th... more BACKGROUND What factors affected the levels of anger and emotional distress experienced during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic? We hypothesized that (1) sociodemographic factors and resiliency factors would partially explain psychological distress and anger, with stronger resiliency associated with lower levels of distress and anger; (2) women would report more trust in national leadership, as well as more psychological problems; (3) individuals of low socioeconomic status would report less resiliency, less trust in national leadership, and greater distress than individuals of higher socioeconomic status; and (4) hope would mediate the relationships between the other resiliency factors and both anger and distress. AIM To explore whether community resilience, hope, and trust in leaders were associated with lower levels of anger and emotional distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS For this observational study, data were gathered in Israel during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, just before the Jewish New Year (mid-September 2020), as a second lockdown was announced. Data were gathered from 636 Israeli adults, who were recruited by the Midgam research panel. The participants filled out self-reported questionnaires including one on state anger, the Brief Symptom Inventory as a measure of mental-health problems (i.e., somatization, depression, and anxiety), and questionnaires about trust in the state’s leaders, community resilience (CCRAM), and hope as measures of coping resources and resiliency. t-tests were used to explore differences between men and women and between those of lower and higher socioeconomic status. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was then used to examine whether and how the sociodemographic and resiliency variables explained state anger and psychological distress. A Sobel test was used to evaluate the possible effects of hope on community resilience and trust in leadership in the context of both distress and anger. RESULTS Our results revealed differences between women and men in terms of anger and mental-health problems, but not in terms of coping resources. Women reported higher levels of both anger and mental-health problems. Participants of lower socioeconomic status reported more mental-health problems, more anger, and greater trust in the state’s leaders; whereas those of higher socioeconomic status reported greater hope. Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the sociodemographic factors of gender, age, and socioeconomic status, as well as community resilience, trust in the state’s leaders, and hope explained mental health with a total of 19% of the variance and anger with a total of 33% of the variance. The Sobel tests showed that hope mediated the relationships between community resilience and mental health (z = 3.46, P < 0.001), community resilience and anger (z = 2.90, P < 0.01), and trust in leaders and anger (z = 3.26, P < 0.01), but did not affect the relationship between trust in leaders and mental health (z = 1.53, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Personal and communal factors affect psychological distress. Personal resilience is an important factor that should be strengthened throughout life. Trust in leadership is important for citizens’ mental health.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted more than two years and included seve... more Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted more than two years and included several waves, the present study focused on Jewish communities around the world, in order to understand the role of community during the pandemic. This study focused on the community mechanisms that helped community members to cope with the pandemic. To that end, between October 2021 and July 2022, in-person interviews were conducted with leaders and members of the following communities: Budapest,
Frontiers, 2022
This special issue explores women in various situations and contexts. We aim to demonstrate, thro... more This special issue explores women in various situations and contexts. We aim to demonstrate, through the various articles, the different ways in which women encounter, experience, and cope with stressful and challenging environments and events in various spheres of different societies. The articles collected here demonstrate how these experiences contribute to women’s distress, on the one
hand, and to their growth, resilience, and leadership, on the
other. These articles examine populations from many parts
of the world, including China, India, Japan, Latin America,
South Africa, Israel, Poland, and Spain, and describe studies
based on different research methods. Ten of these studies were
qualitative, seven were quantitative, and two were interpretive.
The papers address themes such as employment (five articles),
motherhood (five articles), armed conflict (three articles), and
romantic partnership (two articles). Other articles in this issue
concern attitudes toward lesbians, excluded young women, and
the coping of an extraordinary woman.
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Papers by Orna Braun-Lewensohn
hand, and to their growth, resilience, and leadership, on the
other. These articles examine populations from many parts
of the world, including China, India, Japan, Latin America,
South Africa, Israel, Poland, and Spain, and describe studies
based on different research methods. Ten of these studies were
qualitative, seven were quantitative, and two were interpretive.
The papers address themes such as employment (five articles),
motherhood (five articles), armed conflict (three articles), and
romantic partnership (two articles). Other articles in this issue
concern attitudes toward lesbians, excluded young women, and
the coping of an extraordinary woman.
hand, and to their growth, resilience, and leadership, on the
other. These articles examine populations from many parts
of the world, including China, India, Japan, Latin America,
South Africa, Israel, Poland, and Spain, and describe studies
based on different research methods. Ten of these studies were
qualitative, seven were quantitative, and two were interpretive.
The papers address themes such as employment (five articles),
motherhood (five articles), armed conflict (three articles), and
romantic partnership (two articles). Other articles in this issue
concern attitudes toward lesbians, excluded young women, and
the coping of an extraordinary woman.
These theories suggest that their main concepts, namely, several ways of coping, hope, personal and collective sense of coherence, and others, are universal and, therefore, predict that, in all cultures, they could be considered as potential protectors against stress. However, to date, the studies with non-western population have revealed ambiguous results.
Thus, in this Special Issue we aim to address these concerns comprehensively by inviting researchers from around the world to present their studies based on special research methods and mixed research methods. There researches will enable a fundamental understanding of positive adaptation in stressful and in conflictual situations in various cultural and ethnic groups and contexts around the world.