Care leavers are consistently overrepresented in the criminal justice system, a pattern documented across multiple countries. The study examines conviction rates of care leavers from youth villages (YV) in Israel. It compares care leavers from therapeutic and educational villages with their matched peers. It examines predictors of criminal convictions. The study is based on a secondary analysis of the administrative database of the entire male population of educational and therapeutic YV in 16 consecutive birth cohorts (14,637), and PSM-matched same-age peers (29,018). The conviction rates among care leavers in educational YV (8.7%) were lower compared with therapeutic YV (16.3%). Hierarchical logistic regression indicated that family background was associated with criminal conviction (e.g., immigrants from Ethiopia and the FSU were more likely to be convicted [OR = 1.92 and OR = 1.46, respectively] than Israeli-born individuals). After controlling for family background, participants who earned a quality matriculation diploma were far less likely than youth with a regular diploma to be convicted (OR = 0.32). Care leavers (from both settings) were more likely to be convicted. This gap between care-experienced and non-care-experienced participants is larger in therapeutic settings than in educational settings (OR = 1.40). The discussion interprets the findings as markers of a complex set of factors shaping the lives of Israeli YV care leavers. The implications highlight the importance of following up with care leavers, especially those from therapeutic YV. The authors emphasize the need to consider implementing a virtual headmaster to identify and support residents with low academic achievement.

Recurrent crises like natural disasters, pandemics, and armed conflicts constitute a persistent traumatic reality for communities worldwide, significantly affecting students, teachers, and parents. While the importance of education in emergencies is well recognized, the research in western contexts has largely focused on acute collective traumas, with less attention to schools facing ongoing war and political conflict traumas. To address this gap, the study explored Israeli teachers' (N = 1,100) and parents' (N = 710) expectations of school psychosocial and material support for students, staff members, and parents; their evaluations of the actual support provided; and discrepancies between the two during the October 7 Israel-Hamas war. t tests were used to compare the school's expected role versus evaluations of provided support regarding students, teachers, and parents and to compare teachers' and parents' perceptions of roles and support provided. Analysis of variance, t tests, and correlations were used to explore associations between participants' background characteristics and their expectations of schools. Both groups emphasized schools' crucial role in providing emotional support and guidance, but notable gaps existed between expectations and actual support, especially regarding counseling (teachers: ta = 28.44, d = 1.07; parents: ta = 33.03, d = 1.08). Parents and teachers also differed in their expectations and perceptions, highlighting the need to include all stakeholder perspectives. The findings indicate the need for increased resources for emotional support, structured guidance, and systemic backing. Enhancing school-family communication and aligning expectations are also vital during crises. The authors stress the importance of preparing for future recurrent emergencies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

We examine whether students’ victimization (nonvictims, non-bias-based, and bias-based victims) relates to reports on sadness and hopelessness (SH) and suicidal ideation (SI) and how school size, ethnic and socioeconomic status composite, and school climate relate to these outcomes through multilevel analyses of the California Healthy Kids Survey (2017–2019; N = 2,569 schools; N = 1,025,876 students). Bias-based or non-bias-based victims experienced greater SH and SI compared to nonvictimized students. School climate negatively associated with both outcomes, yet positive school climate exacerbated SH and SI of victimized students, particularly those subjected to bias-based violence. The findings confirm the healthy context paradox, indicating that adverse effects may occur for violence victims in schools with more positive climates. Implications for interventions and future research are discussed.

BACKGROUND:Educational gaps between care leavers and their same-age peers not in care are well documented. However, little is known about gender disparities in educational outcomes between care leavers and their matched peers. OBJECTIVES:To examine and predict secondary school educational attainments (EA) and enrollment in postsecondary education (PSE) by (1) study group: care leavers versus their matched peers, (2) gender: men versus women, (3) interaction between study group and gender. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Participants were alumni of educational (n = 21,654) and therapeutic (n = 3765) residential care facilities from 16 consecutive birth cohorts and same-age doubled-sized matched comparison groups (n = 43,308; n = 7530, respectively). METHODS:Bivariate analyses examined differences in secondary school EA and PSE enrollment, and multinomial and binary logistic models predicted secondary school EA and PSE enrollment. RESULTS:Care leavers from both residential settings showed poorer secondary school EA and lower PSE enrollment rates than their matched peers. Gaps between the study groups were far more pronounced in therapeutic facilities than in educational facilities. Women from all study groups outperformed men in both outcomes. Generally, there were greater disparities between female care leavers and their same-sex peers than between male care leavers and their same-sex peers, particularly in therapeutic settings. A complex pattern of interaction between study group and gender emerged in both residential settings. CONCLUSIONS:Greater efforts and resources should be allocated to promote adolescents' academic performance in both types of settings to minimize the gaps between care leavers and their matched peers and between women and men, with special attention to men in therapeutic facilities.

Global life satisfaction (GLS), a core construct of subjective well-being, plays a vital role in positive development among young adults. Persistent inequality in subjective well-being across minority versus majority groups is a growing public health concern. However, research evidence on the minority-majority disparity in GLS among representative samples of young adults is scarce. Based on national data from Israel (N = 2,405), this study examines (a) the association of multiple forms of economic (not in education, employment, or training status, subjective socioeconomic status indicators), social-relational (trust, discrimination, loneliness), and environmental determinants (neighborhood conditions) with GLS among young adults from a minority-majority (Israeli Arabs-Israeli Jews) perspective; (b) whether minority-majority disparity in GLS can be explained by differential health returns for the determinants considered across participants from the two groups; (c) whether minority-majority disparities in GLS persist when controlling for these determinants, suggesting the effect of ethnicity per se. Significant disparities in GLS by ethnicity were found, with young Arab adults far less likely to be satisfied or very satisfied with their lives. Hierarchical logistic regression indicated that economic, social-relational, and environmental determinants shape GLS, but these factors do not eliminate the adverse effect of minority status on GLS. While social-relational and environmental factors uniformly affect GLS across minority and majority participants, economic factors were less influential among the Arab minority, suggesting lower health returns for economic resources among young Arab adults. Implications for policies aimed at promoting health equity and social justice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

In the current quantitative study, we explored the perceived contribution of residential care (PCRC) to multiple life domains and the factors associated with these perceptions from three main stages in Israelis' care leavers' lives: precare, in care, and postcare. Drawing on a representative sample of 2,295 care leavers' retrospective reports, integrated with their longitudinal administrative records, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis and identified two constructs pertaining to participants' PCRC. The first focused on contribution to personal development, and the second on contribution to achieving tangible and intangible life outcomes. In-care experiences of peer and staff support were strong predictors of both perceived personal development and life outcomes. Only a few precare factors and none of the postcare factors were predictive of PCRC. Specifically, PCRC was lower among men compared with women. Additionally, compared to Israeli-born participants, PCRC to personal development was lower among Ethiopian immigrants but higher in the life outcomes domain. PCRC was also higher in both domains among participants whose parents had a criminal conviction. In the Discussion section, we highlight the importance of understanding care leavers' perceptions in relation to different life course stages. Implications for policy and practice in care and postcare are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Loneliness was predicted for women in three ethnocultural groups in Israel: native Jews, Israeli Arabs, and Former Soviet Union (FSU) immigrants. The study was based on Lund et al.'s (2018) conceptualization of social determinant domains of mental health disorders, as in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Social determinants were demographic, economic, social-cultural, and neighborhood factors. We examined whether ethnocultural disparities in loneliness persist when controlling for social determinants in these four domains or whether ethnic disparities are related to other forms of inequality among the three study groups, as reflected in these four domains. Next, we explored associations between the co-occurrence of key social determinants with loneliness. We used cross-sectional representative data of working-age women from the Israeli Social Survey (N = 5,600). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated a higher risk for loneliness among FSU immigrants and Israeli Arabs than among native Jews. Economic risk factors significantly increased the risk of loneliness. Social and cultural factors decreased the risk of loneliness, while discrimination increased it. Improved neighborhood conditions decreased the risk of loneliness. Ethnocultural disparities in loneliness diminished when economic determinants were controlled. Co-occurrence of risk factors greatly increased the risk for loneliness, demonstrating a stepped relationship. Developing supportive networks for women, mainly from minority groups, to increase trust and fight discrimination against any background is necessary. Moreover, significant efforts must be made to combat poverty and narrow socioeconomic inequalities.

Social work is a highly stressful occupation, its practice requiring coping with complex situations integral to serving the most deprived populations. Professionals in this field experience varying degrees of secondary trauma, burnout and psychological distress imperiling their own well-being. This study uses the newest framework of intrinsic job attributes to examine a multidimensional model of intrinsic job quality constructs to explain perceived stress (PS) amongst national sample of social workers in Israel (N = 2,542). Based on cross-sectional data, we employed exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to construct intrinsic job quality index. Structural equation model (SEM) and path analyses revealed the adverse effect of workload and a poor physical working environment on social workers' PS. Social environment factors relating to superiors' and co-workers' support and sense of recognition mediated the effects of workload, job autonomy, physical working environment and meaningful work on social workers' PS through diverse pathways. These findings may inform policy measures responding to the urgent need to monitor social workers' workload and suggest how to nurture a stress-reducing social environment in social services in order to promote social workers' well-being and the quality of the services they provide. Social work aims to serve members of society in need and foster the well-being of the most vulnerable populations. This makes the work environment of social workers an important societal issue as it affects the quality of the services they provide and their ability to fulfill their role as public servants. Yet there has hardly been a systematic investigation of social workers' intrinsic job characteristics and the effect of these on their well-being. Our study offers a systematic examination of (1) the role of intrinsic job quality indictors-workload, physical conditions, job autonomy, in-work social support and recognition and meaningful work-in determining perceived stress (PS) amongst social workers in Israel and (2) whether social support and recognition mediate the effect of work-related risk factors on PS. Workload and poor physical conditions showed an adverse effect on social workers' PS, whilst in-work social support and recognition were important for alleviating level of stress. Greater social support, autonomy, meaningful work and a better physical environment were associated with greater recognition, which, in turn, was associated with lower stress. A better physical environment and greater sense of meaningful work were associated with greater social support, which, in turn, was associated with lower PS. Heavy workload was associated with lower level of both social support and recognition, which, in turn, were associated with decreased stress.

Care leavers, one of the most vulnerable groups in society, are underrepresented in higher education (HE). This study follows 16 entire birth cohorts of alumni of youth villages in Israel (born 1982–1997, N = 44,164) and is based on national administrative data. Using Propensity Score Matching we created a double sized comparison group from the same birth cohorts in the general population (N = 88,328). We use three indicators of educational outcomes: high-school educational attainments, enrollment to HE and HE track. To assess whether attending a youth village is associated with improved outcomes we employ a longitudinal quasi-experimental design and compare the outcomes of care leavers to the matched comparison group. Compared to their matched peers, care leavers were more likely to take at least one matriculation exam and to attain a regular matriculation diploma, but were less likely to gain a diploma that meets the threshold requirement to enter university. Consequently, care leavers were less likely than their matched peers to enroll into HE. Significantly fewer care leavers entered universities, but their rates of entering teachers' colleges were higher. Our findings suggest that youth villages are relatively successful in terms of high-school achievements. Yet, these are insufficient for care leavers to enter HE and they need further support to bridge the gap with the general population.

While the evidence on the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of frontline social workers is emerging, the research on the impact of the pandemic on their performance is scarce. The presented study explores how the relationship between work environment predictors and perceived stress explains the job performance of child welfare social workers during the pandemic using survey responses of 878 child welfare social workers. The findings revealed the mechanism through which environment predictors and perceived stress interacted in explaining job performance during a time of large-scale crisis. We found that C.W. social workers who experienced greater COVID-19-related service restrictions reported poorer job performance, that perceived stress disrupted workers’ supervision and autonomy, and that supervision and job autonomy protected C.W. social workers from the adverse effects of perceived stress and workload on their job performance. Conclusions included the importance of autonomy and supervision in mitigating job-related stressors and the need to adapt and enhance child welfare supervision during times of national crisis.

BACKGROUND:The adverse labor market experience of care leavers is well-documented. Care leavers lag behind their peers in the general population in all employment aspects and even fall short compared to young people from low-income families. Yet, there are only very few comparative longitudinal studies on care leavers' relative labor market position (LMP).OBJECTIVES:To examine and predict: (1) LMP, an integrative measure of labor market connectedness and earning level, among care leavers and a matched comparison group from age 22 to 34; (2) gender differences in LMP among care leavers and their same-sex matched peers.PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Participants were alumni of youth villages in Israel from 13 consecutive birth cohorts (20,758) and a double-sized matched comparison group (41,510).METHODS:Based on longitudinal administrative records bivariate analyses examined differences in age-related LMP between care leavers and their matched peers. Gender-stratified analyses were also performed. A multilevel multinomial model predicted LMP throughout the age span.RESULTS:Care leavers were less likely than their matched peers to be disconnected from employment. The rate of low-wage earners was similar in the two groups. Male care leavers performed better than their matched peers, while female care leavers performed worse than their matched peers. Controlling for pre-care factors, in-care and post-care achievements and experiences, both men and women care leavers performed better than their matched peers.CONCLUSIONS:Labor market connectedness and relative earning progression are shaped by pre-care factors, in-care and post-care achievements and experiences. Three sub-groups of care leavers and similar young people were identified based on their characteristics.

Gaining employment and reaching a stable and self-sufficient livelihood are essential life tasks, especially for young people ageing out of public care. This longitudinal study followed alumni of welfare and educational residential care settings in Israel for 10 years after leaving care. Here, we describe care leavers' employment and economic self-sufficiency outcomes and examine differences over time in their experiences. They were interviewed at the age of 19, 1-year post-care (N = 235), 3 years later (N = 222) and 10 years after ageing out (N = 151). Results paint a mixed picture. While the majority of participants were employed, many in stable jobs, their wages were low even as they grow older. At the same time, they experienced significant economic hardships. For some, economic hardship decreased with time, but for others it remained a cause for concern. Our findings highlight the inherent dependency between experiences at different life stages and suggest that providing more support to care leavers would improve their economic outcomes.

Differences in economic, social, and environmental circumstances lead to systematic and unfair health inequalities. Yet, this inequality is modifiable. Drawing on the social determinants approach to health this study explored: (a) the association between economic, social-relational, and environmental stressors with psychological distress (PD) among a representative sample of young adults in Israel (N = 2,407); (b) the collective impact of these multiple stressors on PD and the extent to which the co-occurrence of stressors demonstrated a stepped relationship with PD. Social determinants included subjective poverty, perceived income adequacy, material deprivation indices, social trust, trust in institutions, perceived discrimination, loneliness, and indicators for the quality of the neighborhood environment. Bivariate analysis was used to assess associations between economic, social-relational, and environmental stressors with PD. Hierarchical linear regressions, estimated to predict PD, showed that the social determinants shaped PD in young adulthood, with each stressor domain making a distinct contribution to explaining PD. Subjective poverty, material deprivation, and loneliness were particularly detrimental. Social determinants were additive, constituting cumulative stressors that convey increased risk for young adults' mental well-being. The findings suggest that health inequality can be reduced by directly addressing its social determinants. Although important, improved access to social and mental health services alone is unlikely to relieve the burden of PD and its adverse consequences both for individual suffering and at the national level. Broader and combined policy measures are required to combat poverty and deprivation, discrimination, lack of trust, and loneliness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Background: Little is known about the long-term labor force attachment (LFA) of care leavers and how they compare with similar youth.Objectives: This study aims to: (1) examine LFA from age 21 to 34 among care leavers and a comparison group; (2) explain variability in age-related LFA.Participants and setting: Two groups were studied: all alumni of 14 consecutive birth cohorts (1982-1995) of care leavers of youth villages in Israel (22,670) and a double-sized matched comparison group drawn from the corresponding cohorts in the general population (45,340).Methods: The study is based on a longitudinal cross-sequential between-groups design. The dataset integrates an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records. Descriptive statistic was used to describe and compare care leavers and their matched peers, in terms of background and achievements. Bivariate analyses examined differences in age-related LFA between care leavers and their matched peers. A multilevel multinomial model was employed to predict LFA levels throughout the age span.Results: In terms of achievements, care leavers show poorer educational attainment, greater reliance on social welfare services and experienced more difficulties during the mandatory mil-itary service. The rate of care leavers strongly connected to the labor market gradually increased as they grew older, reaching to about 65 % by age 34, whereas the rate of those disconnected from the labor market decreased with age, standing on 19 % by age 34. Care leavers had stronger LFA than their matched peers during their entire 20's, and similar levels thereafter. Multiple factors (e.g., family background, educational attainments) were associated with different levels of LFA.Conclusions: Differential policy measures, while in-care and afterward, are needed to address care leavers' variability in labor market experience.

Empirical evidence on life satisfaction of care leavers is scant and often based on small and nonrepresentative samples. Based on the life course perspective, this study explored the role of objective and subjective factors in explaining life satisfaction among care leavers, both general and domain-specific (work-financial-housing, social relationships-emotional state). The sample was randomly drawn from the whole population of eight graduating birth cohorts of alumni of educational residential care in Israel and consists of 2, 295 alumni (24-31 years old). The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews. Bivariate analysis and multiple regression models were used to assess associations between precare context, in-care and postcare experiences and achievements with general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Gender differences were found in both domain-specific life satisfactions with men having greater satisfaction. Family background indicators were generally more predictive of general and social relationships- emotional state satisfaction. In-care experiences of peer and staff support and postcare experience of material deprivation were strong predictors of general and domain-specific life satisfaction. Postcare contacts with care staff, surprisingly, were associated with lower general satisfaction and satisfaction with social relationships-emotional state. Higher educational attainment at the end of placement and integration into postsecondary education were associated with greater general and work-financial-housing satisfaction. The effects of in-care preparation for independent adult living, employment and parenthood are not consistent across different domains of life satisfaction. Implications for policy and practice during and after care are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

We examine the associations of a country's macroeconomic and social policy indicators and diverse household characteristics with joint-income-wealth-poverty (JIWP) among households with members aged 50 years and over in 18 European countries and Israel. A multidimensional approach was used to integrate income and wealth by defining four groups of households: twice-poor, economically vulnerable (poor only by wealth), protected poor (poor only by income), and non-poor. JIWP was examined for two wealth concepts-the 'net-worth' and the 'liquid-wealth'. Using the sixth wave of the Survey on Health, Aging and Retirement (SHARE), we employed multilevel multinomial models to study JIWP across countries. JIWP varied widely across countries, with both country's features and household characteristics shaping the picture of poverty. GDP per capita was negatively associated with JIWP. Total (gross) social expenditure and public social expenditure per capita were negatively associated with risk of JIWP. Greater minimum guaranteed income among working age households and higher replacement rate of pensions among elderly households were also negatively associated with JIWP. Higher public expenditure on health and better quality of the healthcare system decreased the risk of JIWP, but heavier reliance on private financing of the healthcare increased it. Implications for research and policy are discussed.

The transition period from care to independent living is a vulnerable time for care leavers who may experience increased mental health problems. This study explored risk and protective factors contributing to and predicting their psychological distress as emerging adults. The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews among a representative sample of 2295 alumni of educational residential care in Israel (24-31 years old). Results indicated the importance of social support from peers and staff while in and after care in predicting lower psychological distress among the young adults. Participating in skills acquisition activities while in care and integration in post-secondary education also predicted lower psychological distress. In contrast, post-care material deprivation and lower life satisfaction in the area of finance and work were associated with greater psychological distress. Both the subjective experiences and the objective conditions thus contribute to care leavers' mental health. Our results indicate the importance for policy and practice of approaching mental health issues in a holistic manner.

Young adults are a high-risk group for experiencing loneliness. We examine (1) the prevalence of loneliness among young adults in three ethnocultural groups in Israel: native Jews, former Soviet Union immigrants and Arabs; (2) the associations between loneliness and ethnicity, perceived poverty, physical and mental health, perceived discrimination, social capital and online social capital; (3) the distinct sensitivity of the three ethnocultural groups to the determinants of loneliness. Cross-sectional representative data for individuals aged 20-34 were taken from the 2016 to 2017 Israeli Social Surveys (N = 4253). Hierarchical logistic models were estimated to predict loneliness. Differences in the prevalence of loneliness were observed among the groups, with immigrants at higher risk. We found both common and distinct risk factors among the groups and only little evidence for moderation. Ethnic differences in loneliness between the native Jews and the Arabs can be ascribed to differences in their demographic characteristics and the prevalence of other risk factors. The risk for loneliness remained higher for immigrants after controlling for the entire set of risk factors. Eliminating the possibility that immigrants are more sensitive to any risk factor considered suggests the effect of ethnicity per se or rather that other factors affect loneliness in young immigrant adults.

Recent studies have linked hair loss due to childhood irradiation for tinea capitis, a fungal infection of the scalp, to adverse psychosocial and health outcomes in women. However, no study to date has examined gender differences in the outcomes of this type of hair loss. The current study aimed to investigate gender differences in health and psychosocial outcomes of hair loss resulting from childhood irradiation for tinea capitis, and to identify the risk factors associated with depression in both men and women. Medical records held at the archives of the Israel National Center for Compensation of Scalp Ringworm Victims were retrospectively reviewed for 217 women and 105 men who received maximum disability compensation due to severe hair loss resulting from irradiation for tinea capitis. We found that women were at increased risk of developing psychosocial symptoms, including depression. Gender emerged as a significant predictor of depression, distinct from other predictors, such as marital status, age at radiation, exposure to verbal and physical bullying, low self-esteem, social anxiety, and physical health problems. Thus, the psychosocial needs of patients, particularly female patients, who were irradiated for tinea capitis during childhood need to be taken into account by the healthcare professionals treating them.

The mechanisms underlying the SES-psychological distress association are not fully explored. Based on representative cross-sectional data from Israel for the year 2017 (N = 1508), we examine (1) the association between subjective poverty, material deprivation, social capital, and psychological distress among young adults (20–29 years); and (2) whether social capital mediates the subjective poverty/material deprivation-psychological distress association. Informal social capital includes connections with family and friends, perceived support, and perceived trust, whereas formal social capital includes volunteering and civic and political involvement. An additional aspect was online social network usage. We constructed a structural equation model to explore paths of relationships between subjective poverty, material deprivation, social capital, and psychological distress. Subjective poverty and material deprivation were strong predictors of psychological distress. Informal social capital buffered the negative effect of subjective poverty and material deprivations on psychological distress, whereas use of online social networks increased it. The use of online social networks, however, promoted informal social capital, which, in turn, was a protective factor against psychological distress. Further investigation is needed on which patterns and platforms of online social networks harm and which promote young adults’ psychological wellbeing. Informal social capital should be a prominent aspect of both preventive medicine practice and health promotion initiatives among young adults. Policy-makers are called on to support this important means of promoting public health. However, to substantially narrow disparities in psychological distress among young adults, direct action should be taken to reduce poverty and material deprivation.