摘要：The aim of the symposium is to explore Israel as a test case of reactions to the pandemic with regard to local as well as global aspects. Three cross-cultural studies will be presented. In the first presentation, measures of general psychological distress, trauma history, and COVID-19- related PTSD symptoms among Israelis and Americans will be presented. The presentation will engage in the differences between the distress levels of the two cultures and the cultural aspects that might account for these differences, such as collectivism vs. individualism, negative coping, and experience with previous national crises. In the second presentation, the distress levels among Israelis, measured at four time points, will be discussed. The study also compares Israelis’ distress levels at Timepoint 1 with distress levels of individuals in the U.S., India, Ecuador, and Colombia. The study findings show stability in COVID-19-related PTSD levels over time. The study also indicates differences between the countries regarding sociodemographic variables and COVID-19- related worries that might account for the distress levels. In the last presentation, results from a self-help website using CBT modules will be shown. The website was launched in Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, Russian, and English versions. Most of the users came from within Israel, 5% from the U.S., and 5% from other parts of the world. The model and the results of the intervention will be discussed.
