TY - JOUR
AR - PDR-2018-1-102
TI - Belief in the ability to deal with an emergency situation among IDF mental health officers during a military operation
AU - Chen , Goren
AU - Eyal , Fruchter
AU - Leah , Shelef
AU - Yael , Rotenberg
JO - Psychological Disorders and Research
PY - 2018
DA - Sun 06, May 2018
SN - 2674-2470
DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.10xx/j.PDR.2018.10.002
UR - https://www.sciencerepository.org/belief-in-the-ability-to-deal-with-an-emergency-situation-among-IDF-mental-health-officers-during-a-military-operation_PDR-1-102 
KW - Self-efficacy, problem solving, Israeli IDF mental health officers, emergency preparedness
AB - The very nature of army mental health officers' (MHOs') work is their exposure to stressors––those
experienced by those they treat, as well as those the MHOs experience directly, such as acute work-family
conflict in emergency situations. This exposure is a potential source of personal distress.
Aim: To examine to what extent the MHOs of the Israeli military believe in their ability to use professional
tools and effectively perform as a therapist in emergency situations.
Method: Four questionnaires were distributed in the course of a military operation (N = 87): General SelfEfficacy Scale, MHO Self-Efficacy Scale, Perceived Problem-Solving Test as a Threat Scale, and StateTrait Anxiety Inventory.
Results: Findings showed that the military tenure of MHOs was associated with their perceived ability to
function as therapists (MHO self-efficacy) and with the extent to which problem-solving tasks were
perceived as threatening. Longer tenure in the current military position was associated with a higher sense
of general self-efficacy and a higher level of MHO self-efficacy in emergency situations. Neither gender
differences, location of residence, or site of military service (near or far from the high-risk war zone) were
found to be associated with the MHOs' perceived ability to function as therapists and their general selfefficacy.
Conclusion: Training MHOs in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) during routine times, in preparation for
emergency situations. is very important for functioning as a therapist. These training programs also attend
to the MHOs' ability to maintain their personal resources while intervening during and after an emergency.