HARCP Archives

Browse by article

Browse by volume

Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2003, 05, 1 (pages: 33 - 38)

The impact of continuing terror and stress on the use of psychoactive drugs in Israel

Arieli M., Greenspoon A., Glaser J., Blackman S., Kahan N.

Summary: An unprecedented wave of terrorism has plagued the Israeli population over the last two years. Between September 29, 2000 and October 1, 2002, Magen David Adom recorded a total of 4,535 casualties. Of these, 539 people were killed, 406 severely injured and 554 moderately injured. Among the additional 3,036 people lightly injured were 11 MDA staff members. 3 Fears of random shootings and of human bombs exploding in schools, restaurants, and buses have caused extreme stress in the general population. Because the country is so small, everyone knows a terror victim personally - or knows someone else who does. At the same time, the economic situation, with its rising unemployment, reflects both the reality of war and the international recession. Stress and uncertainty are widespread. This ongoing study explores the assumption that terror, stress and uncertainty influences the prescribing practices of community physicians. Initially, we were interested only in psychoactive drugs, namely anxiolytics, hypnotics and anti-depressants. However, as this pilot study was planned to become part of a larger study done by the Mental Health Services, we then decided to include analgesics, asthma medications and H1 antagonists for hyperacidity and anti-hypertensives We believed that by measuring changes in prescribing patterns and actually measuring the dispensing of these medications, we would also receive a certain picture regarding the coping mechanisms of Israeli society.