The research data indicate an immediate need to expand professional training beyond focusing on PTSD only. “The evidence we collected indicates that the mental health system is required today to expand its toolbox and develop the ability to respond to a wider range of trauma reactions,” says Prof. Dana Zur Beitan, head of the community mental health department at the University of Haifa, one of the researchers.
The events of Shiva in October led to a significant jump in the rates of mental distress in Israel and a significant increase in the symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety, but also to the appearance of other complex mental reactions such as: continuous grief, suicidal thoughts and moral injury. Many professional trainings given to mental health professionals at the beginning of the war focused mainly on the treatment of PTSD, but until now it has not been evaluated whether these programs actually respond to the clinical needs, as reported by women and the professionals who meet them in their clinical work.
The results of the study show that mental health professionals in Israel report a good familiarity with the areas of diagnosis and treatment related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but indicate a lower level of knowledge in the areas of diagnosing prolonged grief, assessing suicidal risk and identifying moral injury.
While the knowledge about PTSD was rated at a high level and averaged about 4.7 on a scale of 6-1, areas such as identifying moral injury or diagnosing complex grief were rated close to 3 on this scale. The participants also reported an important need for additional training in the areas of therapeutic follow-up, adapting the intervention method to the patient and identifying factors that influence the course of recovery.
Although those with previous training in the field of trauma presented a higher level of knowledge, the level of need for additional training was almost the same among all participants. “The data indicate a real need for tools that will allow the professionals to manage continuous treatment based on continuous assessment.