Study shows increased substance use with direct and indirect exposure to mass terrorism

According to a study, increased substance use disorder (ISU) is observed in populations exposed to mass terrorism directly, indirectly and through the media among adults published online July 24 in JAMA Network Opened.

Roi Eliashar, from the Israel Center on Addiction in Netanya, and colleagues investigated which factors are associated with reporting of ISU in a population affected by mass terrorism and examined whether psychological stress mediated the association between trauma exposure and reporting of ISU. The study was a partially representative cross-sectional survey of the adult Jewish population in Israel (18 to 70 years old) conducted four weeks after October 7, 2023. Data were included for 968 participants (mean age, 41.5 years).

The researchers found that participants were significantly more likely to report ISU if they had experienced direct exposure, indirect exposure, media exposure, psychological distress, or prior mental health problems. The association between indirect exposure and media exposure with reporting ISU was partially mediated by psychological distress (b = 0.20 and 0.14, respectively). There was no evidence to support prior mental health problems as a moderator of these indirect effects.

This cross-sectional study “provided important insights regarding the effects of psychological distress on these outcomes and highlighted the potential prevalence of stress and ISU in individuals exposed to events of such magnitude and to unparalleled media attention, regardless of their pre-existing vulnerability,” the authors write.

“These insights are crucial for the planning and distribution of essential health services and preventive measures.”

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