A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem examined how thought patterns related to injustice, known as perceived injustice, shape people’s psychological responses to trauma. Conducted after the October 7 attack and during the war that followed, the study revealed that as individuals viewed their pain as more unjust and irreparable, they experienced more severe and persistent symptoms of traumatic stress, even months later. Research highlights perceived injustice as a key factor influencing recovery and resilience in the aftermath of trauma.
A new longitudinal study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem conducted in the months following the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent war found that thought patterns that one’s suffering is unjust and irreparable, known as perceived injusticeit can intensify and maintain trauma symptoms over time.
The research, led by Dr. Gadi Gilam, head of the Translational Social, Cognitive, and Emotional Neuroscience (tSCAN) lab at the Institute of Biomedical and Oral Research, School of Dentistry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, with tSCAN lab graduate students, nearly three months after Israeli participants Mor-Elzak1, and Sarit Kubi0. the attack, with over 600 completing follow-up assessments six months later. Participants reported their levels of exposure and proximity to traumatic events, traumatic symptoms, perceptions of injustice, and symptoms of emotional distress, i.e., depression, anxiety, anger.
The results were impressive. At both time points, as subjects perceived and experienced their pain as more unfair and irreparable, they reported higher levels of traumatic stress symptoms. Importantly, perceived injustice predicted future severity of traumatic symptoms even after accounting for levels of exposure and proximity to traumatic events and symptoms of emotional distress, indicating that it represents a unique and powerful psychological factor in how people respond to and cope with chronic exposure to stress and trauma.
In the wake of trauma, we often focus on emotions like fear or sadness. Our findings suggest that a sense of injustice can be just as damaging, if not more so. When people believe that what happened to them or others was particularly unfair and beyond repair, it can prolong suffering and make healing more difficult.”
Dr. Gadi Gilam, Biomedical and Oral Research Institute, School of Dentistry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The study also revealed that anger levels rose significantly between January and July 2024, while levels of traumatic symptoms, perceptions of injustice, depression and anxiety all remained stable. According to Dr. Gilam, this stability highlights how perceived injustice can serve as a persistent cognitive prism, shaping how survivors interpret current events and their emotional consequences. Indeed, anger is the most common emotional response to injustice and may reflect an additional therapeutic goal.
The authors hope that their findings will inspire clinicians to incorporate considerations related to injustice in mental health care and lead to new therapeutic interventions.
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