The magnitude of the Oct 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel was without precedent. More than 1300 civilians were murdered, and 240 civilians were kidnapped and taken hostage. In this national cohort study, for which baseline outcome data were established before the attacks, a prospective assessment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was conducted one month after the attack. A representative sample of 710 Israeli adults (362 female, 51.1%), Jews (557, 79.9%) and Arabs (153, 20.1%), aged 18–85 years (mean = 41.01, SD = 13.72) completed the study at two timepoints: T1, on Aug 20–30, 2023 (6–7 weeks before the attack) and T2, on Nov 9–19, 2023 (5–6 weeks after the attack). 30 (4.2%) of the 710 participants had direct exposure to the attack, and 131 (18.5%) had loved ones who were murdered, kidnapped, or injured during the attack. Probable PTSD prevalence almost doubled from 16.2% at T1 to 29.8% at T2 (p < 0.0001), with the prevalence of probable GAD and depression also increasing from 24.9% at T1 to 42.7% at T2, and from 31.3% at T1 to 44.8% at T2, respectively. Direct exposure to the attack was found to contribute to probable PTSD (OR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.48–6.65) and probable depression (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.02–4.87) at T2. Our study suggests a broad and significant impact of the Oct 7, 2023 attack on the mental health of the Israeli population. The findings underscore the need to provide rapid, nationwide assessments and triage for interventions to address the mental health needs of Jewish and Arab citizens. Not applicable.

Background: One of the main obstacles in studying suicide risk factors is the difference between cases in which the individual died by suicide and those in which the individual engaged in suicidal behavior. A promising strategy that overcomes this obstacle is the study of survivors of serious suicide attempt (SSA), i.e. an attempt that would have been fatal had it not been for the provision of rapid and effective emergency treatment. Serious suicide attempters are epidemiologically very similar to those who died by suicide, and thus may serve as valid proxies for studying suicides. This paper aims to define the specific risk factors of SSAs by conducting a qualitative data synthesis of existing studies. Methods: In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic search of the literature in PubMed, ProQuest and Psychlit electronic research-literature databases. Search terms were “serious” “OR” “near lethal,” combined with the Boolean “AND” operator with “suicide*.” In addition, a manual search of the literature on Google Scholar was performed, for further studies not yet identified. Results: Initial search identified 683 citations. A total of 39 research reports met the predefined criteria and were analyzed. Mental pain, communication difficulties, decision-making impulsivity, and aggression, as well as several demographic variables, were found to be major risk factors for SSAs. Limitations: We found a variability of definitions for SSA that hamper the ability to draw a model for the risk factors and processes that facilitate it. Moreover, the role of suicide intent and planning in SSA is still unclear. Further studies should aim to clarify and refine the concepts and measures of SSA, thereby enabling more specific and concrete modelling of the psychological element in its formation. Conclusions: SSA is a distinguishable phenomenon that needs to be addressed specifically within the scope of suicidal behavior. Interpersonal problems, as well as impulsivity and aggression, seem to facilitate SSA when mental pain serves as a secondary factor. Healthcare professionals should to be aware of SSA, and familiar with its specific risk factors. Moreover, psychological and suicidal risk assessment should include a designated evaluation of these risk factors as part of

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is a significant positive change experienced by an individual following stressful or challenging life events in his or her life. PTG has been explored in various populations; however, only recently, the concept has been applied to suicide bereavement and postvention. This systematic review aims to explore whether PTG can ensue in the aftermath of a suicide loss and what are the sociodemographic and psychological correlates of PTG among suicide-loss survivors. A systematic review, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, identified 11 quantitative studies published between 2009 and 2019. The review was followed by an examination of the pooled effect size for the main correlates of PTG. PTG following suicide loss was reported to be positively associated with time since loss, adaptive coping strategies, and help-seeking. Furthermore, perceived social support and self-disclosure mediated the relations between both PTG and attachment style and between PTG and belongingness. A meta-analysis provided evidence that these two factors have strong averaged pool effects for their correlations with PTG. The systematic review and meta-analysis found evidence of PTG following suicide loss and identified several psychosocial correlates of growth. Limitations of the reviewed studies, which included a lack of control groups and cross-sectional design, constrain the generalizability of the findings. Nonetheless, PTG is a relatively new area of research in postvention that carries substantial implications for the delivery of effective support to individuals coping with suicide loss. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Medical severe suicide attempts (MSSA) are epidemiologically very similar to individuals who complete suicide. Thus the investigation of individuals who have made MSSAs may add to our understanding of the risk factors for completed suicide. The aim of this study was to assess the role of mental pain and communication difficulties in MSSA. A total of 336 subjects were divided into 4 groups: 78 meeting criteria for MSSA compared with116 subjects who made a medically non-serious suicide attempt (MNSSA), 47 psychiatric controls with no history of suicidal behavior, and 95 healthy controls. Mental pain variants (e.g., hopelessness), facets of communication difficulties (e.g., self-disclosure), as well as socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed. The MSSA had significantly higher communication difficulties than the other 3 groups. Moreover, the interaction between mental pain and communication difficulties explained some of the variance in suicide lethality, above and beyond the contribution of each component alone. This report underlines the importance of mental pain for suicide attempts in general while difficulties in communication abilities play a critical role in differentiating MSSA from MNSSA. The co-existence of unbearable mental pain with difficulties in communication significantly enhances the risk for more lethal forms of suicidal behavior.