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This qualitative study explores the experiences of Israeli therapists implementing the FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress) intervention. Originally developed for US military families, the FOCUS model was adapted to support civilian families exposed to chronic trauma. Through in-depth interviews with 13 therapists, the study identified three main themes: the shift from individual to family trauma-focused care, acquisition of new therapeutic tools, and challenges in implementation. Therapists emphasized the importance of addressing trauma within the family system but reported lacking appropriate tools before using FOCUS. The program offered structured yet adaptable methods to help families reconstruct a shared narrative and strengthen resilience. Challenges included the need for prior family therapy experience, intensive supervision, and difficulties recruiting all family members. The findings support the integration of trauma-informed care and family therapy, highlighting the need for further research on FOCUS's long-term effects and adaptability in diverse settings involving all family members.
Forgiveness is increasingly recognized as a therapeutic resource in addiction recovery, yet its dynamics within family contexts remain complex. This cross-sectional study examined forgiveness among 79 men in recovery in a therapeutic community in Israel, comparing those who identified a family member versus a non-family member as the offender, and exploring associations with social desirability and psychological well-being. The response rate was 97.5
ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors (i.e., financial damage due to the pandemic, exposure to COVID‐19, and prior stressful life events), and family‐related protective factors (i.e., cohesion and flexibility) on marital, parental, and financial stress experienced by married heterosexual Palestinians in Israel during the COVID‐19 pandemic. A total of 480 participants completed self‐report questionnaires. A structural equation model examined the predictors of marital, parental, and financial stress. Notable differences were seen between predictors of marital and parental stress and those of financial stress. Marital and parental stress were primarily predicted by protective factors, mainly family coherence, whereas risk factors and sociodemographic characteristics predicted these outcomes only to a lesser extent. For financial stress, risk factors, particularly financial damage related to COVID‐19 and prior stressful life events, were the primary predictors. It therefore appears that during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and potentially in other crises, better family functioning reduced marital and parental stress. However, this effect did not extend to financial stress, although protective factors contributed to its reduction to some extent. Given that family cohesion plays a more significant role in resilience compared to flexibility in a collectivist society, culturally sensitive interventions focusing on strengthening family cohesion are essential.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the extent to which environmental supports predict participation indicators of youth with and without disabilities in the presence of functional limitations and age across 4 settings: home, educational setting, community, and workplace. DESIGN:Cross-sectional study. SETTING:Youth completed the self-reported measures. PARTICIPANTS:Youth with disabilities without cognitive impairments (n=112) and youth without disabilities (n=57), aged 12-31 years (x̄=21.8; interquartile range, 18-25y). INTERVENTIONS:Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):The Youth, young-adult Participation and Environment Measure assessed 3 participation indicators (eg, frequency, involvement, and desire for change) and environmental supports within each setting. Youth's functional limitations were evaluated using a self-reported 11-item checklist. RESULTS:Hierarchical multiple regression modeling revealed that environmental supports exhibited a unique contribution (R2 change up to 9%) and consistently predicted participation scores on ≥2 of 3 participation indicators across all 4 settings. Greater environmental support was significantly associated with fewer activities wherein youth desired change in participation across all settings (standardized β=-0.306 to -0.186; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.117 to -0.010). Environmental support demonstrated the most consistent contribution to home participation in terms of frequency (standardized β=0.255; 95% CI, 0.008-0.029), involvement (standardized β=0.172; 95% CI, 0.001-0.019), and desire for change (standardized β=-0.272; 95% CI, -0.116 to -0.034). CONCLUSIONS:Findings underscore the unique contribution of environmental supports in predicting variation in subjective and objective participation across settings beyond the variance predicted by youth-related factors (age and number of functional limitations). These findings support environment-based interventions to enhance participation during this challenging transition phase, particularly focusing on those activities where youth desire change. Moreover, our findings can inform service providers and policymakers in promoting environmental supports that enhance multiple dimensions of participation for youth with disabilities.
Abstract This critical-qualitative study examines the phenomenon of “chronic ethical dissonance” among Arab social workers in Israel, who operate within bureaucratic welfare institutions, embedded in a colonial reality. The research identifies an inherent ethical dissonance that germinates due to the social workers’ encounter with the institutional sphere and analyses how this discord is transmuted into practices of “clandestine decolonization” within a dissident “Third Space.” Supported by an integration of internal colonialism, decolonization, and “Third Space” theories, the research draws on semi-structured in-depth interviews with twenty-seven social workers from a diverse range of public social services. The findings describe a professional reality oscillating between restriction by structural oppression and creative resistance. Analysis identified four central themes that interlink power structures (systemic microaggressions), internal experience (the moral price), and action (dual resistance): systemic microaggressions, the moral price of identity fragmentation, creative non-compliance, and cultural brokering as a reclamation of knowledge sovereignty. The conclusions indicate the need for a critical decolonial pedagogy in societies where a hegemonic majority governs a dispossessed population.
