Prisoners of War of the Yom Kippur Debacle 35 Years Later

The article reviews the traumatic experiences of Israeli prisoners of war captured by the Egyptian & Syrian armies in the Yom Kippur War. Findings from two research phases, held in 1991 & 2003, indicate that the difficulties that emerge in captivity do not end with the return home. The findings show that even eighteen & thirty years after the Yom Kippur War, prisoners of war continue to suffer from significant rates of post-traumatic disorders & extensive psychiatric symptoms. Despite the decrease in psychiatric symptoms over time, former prisoners of war were found to be ten times as likely to demonstrate a decline in their mental state between the two measurements compared to a control group of soldiers who had not been captured. Prisoners of war also report continuous difficulties in functioning at work & in the family, as well as high physical morbidity. The article discusses the importance of personal, familial, & national support systems for the rehabilitation & adaptation processes of former prisoners of war. It also deals extensively with the role of the national ethos in regard to captivity, an ethos that includes both a demand for bravery & a tendency to guilt feelings in the long-term adaptation of former prisoners of war. References. Adapted from the source document.