Study finds increased substance use with direct, indirect exposure to mass terrorism

For adults, increased substance use (ISU) is seen in populations with direct, indirect, and media exposure to mass terrorism, according to a study published online July 24 in JAMA Network Open. Roi Eliashar, from the Israel Center on Addiction in Netanya, and colleagues examined which factors are associated with reporting ISU in a population affected by mass terrorism and examined whether psychological distress mediated the association between trauma exposure and reporting ISU. The study was a partially representative cross-sectional survey of the adult Jewish population in Israel (aged 18 to 70 years) conducted four weeks after Oct. 7, 2023. Data Read More