Young Adults In Israel Research Articles

Differences in Information-Seeking About Sex and Sexuality Among Jewish and Arab Young Adults in Israel

The proliferation of online information sources, particularly regarding sex and sexuality, presents challenges for young people, educators, and policymakers in understanding how different cultural, socioeconomic, and minority groups access this information. The study explores disparities in seeking information about sex and sexuality among Arab and Jewish Israeli young adults. Findings from a survey of 303 participants aged 18–40 show that Jewish young adults consult more information sources than do Arab young adults. Socioeconomic status, gender, age, and religious status predict the sources used. The study emphasizes cultural and ethnic variations in healthcare access. Suggestions include culturally tailored sexuality education.

Challenges, Coping, and Personal Strengths during COVID-19: Lessons from the Experiences of at-Risk Young Adults in Israel

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly endangers the development of at-risk young adults across various life domains, with potential enduring consequences. Despite prior reporting on the pandemic’s adverse effects on these individuals, there is a lack of the empirical literature regarding their resilience. Building upon the stress process model (Pearlin, 1978), we explored the challenges of 20 at-risk young adults (aged 18–25 years) and the strategies and resources they employed to cope with these challenges during this period. Thematic analysis revealed that these young adults struggled with worsened family relationships, loneliness, mental health issues, and setbacks in their quest for independence and autonomy. However, resources and character strengths that facilitated coping strategies during this period also emerged, specifically the motivation to become a role model within their family, personal abilities, and the use of formal and informal support. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Determinants of physical activity habit formation: a theory-based qualitative study among young adults

ABSTRACT Purpose Engagement in physical activity significantly contributes to reducing the onset and severity of chronic diseases. Nonetheless, establishing habits around this behaviour remains a persistent challenge. This research endeavours to discern the determinants influencing the formation of physical activity habit among young adults in Israel, drawing upon a socio-ecological model. Methods A qualitative approach with phenomenological-hermeneutical method was used. In-depth interviews were carried to cover four levels of the socio-ecological model. Results Interviewees were categorized into three subgroups according to their physical activity habit strength: Habitually physically active (n = 8), Variably physically active (n = 11), and physically inactive (n = 6). The content analysis yielded four overarching themes associated with physical activity habit formation. Intrapersonal determinants encompassed personal traits, perceptions and attitudes, perceived benefits, and emotional responses related to physical activity. Interpersonal determinants encompassed social support, modelling support, and peer pressure. Community determinants pertained to social norms, resource availability, and accessibility. Finally, public policy considerations encompassed educational policies as well as workplace policies and cultural influences. Conclusions This study highlights the unique determinants contributing to the formation of physical activity habit. As intrapersonal and interpersonal factors are significant determinants, interventions should focus on these elements in order to promote this behaviour among young adults.

Predictors of hope among at-risk young adults in Israel during the transition to adulthood.

This exploratory study examined hope among at-risk young adults and the factors associated with hope including income, housing, self-rated health, and education. The study, conducted among Israeli at-risk young adults, included 589 participants, ages 18-25 who received some form of treatment at one of Israel's social welfare service agencies. Findings indicated that young adults who had experienced housing instability/insecurity during the past year had lower levels of hope compared to participants who had not experienced housing instability/insecurity. Structural equation modeling revealed housing security, higher income sufficiency, and higher education were associated with higher levels of hope. The discussion addresses the importance of recognizing both protective and risk factors for positive adjustment among at-risk young adults. Implications for practice emphasize the importance of considering instrumental, as well as psychological and motivational, aspects in intervention programs that support at-risk young adults during the transition to adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Fragile functionality: The experience of immigrant young adults in Israel who grew up with a parent addicted to alcohol

Studies have highlighted the emotional, social and behavioral effects for children growing up with a parent addicted to alcohol. The current study enhances the current literature in two major ways. Firstly, it focuses on a unique group of young people, children of immigrant parents who face simultaneous challenges related to immigration, as well as an addicted parent. Secondly, it aims to enrich the literature by understanding the subjective experience of these young people, today adults, as well as the ways in which they coped with the challenges they encountered. In this phenomenological qualitative study, 15 immigrant young adults from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) in Israel, who grew up with at least one parent who became addicted to alcohol after immigration, were asked about their experiences growing up. The thematic analysis identified four themes: 1) The immigration experience; 2) Living in the shadow of a drunk parent; 3) Coping mechanisms and 4) The current impact of childhood experiences. The analysis highlighted the way in which two environment stressors – immigration and an alcohol abusing parent- intertwine on multiple levels to shape the young person’s experience. It also highlighted the duality of the young people’s experience, which we have termed “fragile functionality”: young people who, on the surface, function, take on parental roles, succeed at school and other developmental tasks and yet hold within them intense feelings of anxiety, fear, and chaos, feelings which they are terrified will overwhelm and topple their fragile emotional balance. An understanding of this duality can be critical for those working with immigrant families, whether social workers, teachers or therapists.

Inequality in psychological distress among young adults: An integrative model of economic, social, and environmental determinants.

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).

Gaming Disorder and Psycho-Emotional Wellbeing among Male University Students and Other Young Adults in Israel

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the impact of gaming and gaming disorder on the wellbeing of Israeli male university students and other adults. Gaming disorder (i.e., persistent, and recurrent gaming activity associated with a lack of control that may be clinically diagnosed) was determined using the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). Survey participants were recruited from gaming associations, clubs and the gaming community using Facebook. Data were collected in June 2022. A total of 526 males completed the survey (30.9% university students and 69.1% other young adults). Various statistical methods of analysis including regression were used for this study. Significant study group differences revealed university students with more indications of gaming disorder, more burnout, less loneliness, more stimulant (i.e., Ritalin) use, a greater consumption of salt- and/or sugar-loaded foods and lower economic wellbeing. The levels of resilience (i.e., the ability to recover from stress), substance use (e.g., tobacco and alcohol) and weight gain were similar for the two groups. Regression analysis showed gaming disorder as a key predictor of burnout, economic wellbeing and resilience. This study examined only male gamers because of the small number of female respondents. However, additional research is needed about female internet gamers, including their possible exposure to online harassment and sexual degradation. Additionally, additional research should be considered to verify the present study's findings about gamers based on demographic factors and gaming disorder levels. Prevention and treatment intervention measures, including those that can be made available on campus, should be thought about by university administration personnel and student association leaders in consultation with professionals who are experienced in reducing gaming disorder and other harmful behaviors among students.

Psychological factors and the use of psychoactive substances in relation to sexual orientation: A study on Israeli young adults.

In the context of sexual minorities and the distress they may experience, recent years have witnessed a trend emphasizing the idea that protective factors may curb risk behaviors, while stressing that not all sexual minorities do experience distress. However, protective factors have been studied less frequently than have risk factors. To the extent that protective factors are identified among those at risk for psychological distress and risk behaviors, strategies can seek to address risk by enhancing these protective factors. The current study aimed to expand the knowledge in this area by simultaneously examining protective and risk factors as well as by examining the association between sexual orientation, psychological distress, sense of coherence (SOC), social support (e.g., parental and peer relationships), and alcohol and cannabis use among Israeli young adults. A self-reported questionnaire was distributed to 496 young adults: 254 heterosexual participants and 242 homosexual participants. As hypothesized, participants with a same-sex orientation reported higher psychological distress, lower SOC, a weaker relationship with their parents, and a greater use of alcohol and cannabis than did heterosexual participants. Regression analyses indicated that low SOC, low family support, and low peer support predicted higher psychological distress. However, sexual orientation was not found to predict distress levels among young adults in Israel. Similarly, no associations were found between alcohol and cannabis use and psychological distress. The results are discussed within the framework of resilience factors that can serve as a barrier to distress and to the use of psychoactive substances among young adults in general and sexual minorities in particular.

The Impact of Nomophobia, Stress, and Loneliness on Smartphone Addiction among Young Adults during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Israeli Case Analysis

Technological development in recent times has dramatically changed the way people live, interact with, and consume information. Since the emergence of the first iPhone in January 2007 until today, mobile phones are used daily for a range of purposes. Using mobile phones for various purposes intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic due to isolation or government lockdown regulations. However, along with the advantages of smartphone usage there are many disadvantages such as smartphone addiction and continuous exposure to digital screens, behaviors known as PSU—problematic smartphone use. This study explores the impact of several variables on PSU: loneliness, the need for social interaction, sleep hours, fear of losing phone access (nomophobia), and stress among young adults in Israel. The variables are examined with respect to two time periods: 1. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns (defined as “T1”) and 2. Following the end of the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns (defined as “T2”). The results indicated that nomophobia, social affiliation, and sleep hours affect PSU. In addition, the indirect effect of the number of sleep hours on stress and PSU was found to be significant in T2 and in T1. The findings and their implications are discussed.

Young adults know that their issues are not represented in the news: Israeli young adults and mainstream news media

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the ways socio-economic issues are represented in mainstream news media and how it is consumed, understood and interpreted by Israeli young adults (YAs). It examines how mainstream media uses neo-liberal discourse, and the ways YAs internalize this ethic, while simultaneously finding ways to overcome its limitations.Design/methodology/approachThis was a mixed methods study. First, it undertook content analysis of the most popular Israeli mainstream news media among YAs: the online news site Ynet and the TV Channel 2 news. Second, the authors undertook semi-structured in-depth interviews with 29 Israeli YAs. The analysis is based on an online survey of 600 young Israelis, aged 18–35 years.FindingsMost YAs did not perceive mainstream media as enabling a reliable understanding of the issues important to them. The content analysis revealed that self-representation of YAs is rare, and that their issues were explained, and even resolved, by older adults. Furthermore, most of YAs' problems in mainstream news media were presented using a neo-liberal perspective. Finally, from the interviews, the authors learned that YAs did not find information that could help them deal with their most pressing economic and social issue, in the content offered by mainstream media. For most of them, social media overcomes these shortcomings.Originality/valueContrary to research that has explored YAs’ consumerism of new media outlets, this article explores how YAs in Israel are constructed in the media, as well as the way in which YAs understand mainstream and new social media coverage of the issues most important to them. Using media content analysis and interviews, the authors found that Young Adults tend to be ambivalent toward media coverage. They understand the lack of media information: most of them know that they do not learn enough from the media. This acknowledgment accompanies their tendency to internalize the neo-liberal logic and conservative Israeli national culture, in which class and economic redistribution are largely overlooked. Mainstream news media uses neo-liberal discourse, and young adults internalize this logic, while simultaneously finding ways to overcome the limitations this discourse offers. They do so by turning to social media, mainly Facebook. Consequently, their behavior maintains the logic of the market, while also developing new social relations, enabled by social media.

Risk and protective factors associated with multiproblem behaviours of Ethiopian young adults in Israel.

Immigrants and second-generation immigrants from Ethiopia in Israel are assumed to be more vulnerable to problematic risk behaviours than host culture population. The aim of this study was to assess risk and protective factors associated with multiproblem behaviours such as committing driving violations, alcohol use, drugs use and violence among Ethiopian young adult immigrants and second-generation immigrants in Israel. This is a cross-sectional study, based on a self-reported anonymous structured questionnaire distributed to 383 Ethiopian emerging adults (mean age 25.3; SD=3.27, 59.3% female). Multiple Problem Behavior Index (MPBI) was created from their responses to 21 risk behaviour variables including driving violations, alcohol use, Marijuana use and violence. Logistic regression to predict multiproblem behaviours was used. We found that unplanned leisure activity hours during weekends (adjusted odds ratio - AOR=2.594, p<.01, 95% CI 1.332-5.052), excitement seeking (AOR=2.122, p<.01, 95% CI 1.257-3.582), depression symptoms (AOR=2.521, p<.01, 95% CI 1.491-4.261) and gender (AOR=0.277, p<.001, 95% CI 0.164-0.469) were associated with MPBI. In contrast, racism, perceived discrimination, Israeli and Ethiopian identities were not significantly associated with MPBI after adjusting for gender and family status. These results suggest that in a minority of Ethiopian emerging adult immigrants similar to host culture populations, risk factors such as unplanned leisure activities, excitement seeking and depression symptoms are stronger and significant factors associated with multiproblem behaviours rather than racism, perceived discrimination or Israeli and Ethiopian identities. Resources should be allocated to produce appropriate intervention programs with planned content for leisure time, especially on weekends.

Merging micro and macro practice: The point of view of social workers working with at-risk young adults

In recent years, partly in response to significant changes in the economic and political environment in which social workers operate, scholars have called for the integration of micro and macro practice in social work settings. Yet, little attention has been given to how social workers construct their practice to integrate these two types of interventions. This qualitative exploratory study examines the perceptions and experiences of frontline social workers who are expected to carry out micro and macro practice in their daily work. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 30 social workers who work with at-risk young adults in Israel, findings show that social workers support the integration between micro and macro practice and share a profound understanding of its importance in promoting their clients’ interests. However, findings show that social workers are confronted with various challenges and barriers while trying to engage in multilevel practice. Specifically, four types of challenges arose: (a) unequal or limited skills and knowledge associated with both practices; (b) limited hours of work and high workload; (c) incongruity between available supportive services and organizational expectations; and (d) the highly political nature of interventions at the macro level. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Intention to seek professional and non-professional emotional help among Jewish young adults in Israel.

Young adulthood is a major and significant stage in life encompassing various life transitions which may increase the risk of developing emotional crises. Receiving mental health treatment and turning to nonprofessional resources for support can ease such emotional burdens. However, many of those in need of such help do not turn to professional services and, rather, tend to rely on themselves. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of attitudes towards seeking professional emotional help, self-stigma, anticipated risk, anticipated utility, and social support to the intention to seek professional and nonprofessional emotional help among Jewish young adults in Israel. Participants included 282 Jewish Israeli young adults aged 18-30, recruited in person or online. They filled out a self-report questionnaire, between March and June 2017, regarding intention to seek professional and non-professional emotional help, attitudes towards seeking professional emotional help, self-stigma towards seeking professional emotional help, anticipated risk and anticipated utility of self-disclosure when seeking professional help, perceived social support and sociodemographic questions. A path analysis model was used to analyse the data. Intention to seek professional help was positively associated with positive attitudes towards seeking professional emotional help and anticipated utility and negatively with self-stigma and social support. Intention to seek nonprofessional help was positively associated with anticipated utility and social support and negatively with anticipated risk. In addition, indirect effects were found between religious affiliation and previous mental health treatment, and intention to seek professional help, through the mediating effects of attitudes and anticipated utility. Interventions for increasing intention to seek professional and nonprofessional support are important and should include reference to attitudes, anticipated utility, anticipated risk and self-stigma, and should promote mutual support and highlight the importance of support from close ones. In addition, a model for predicting intention to seek non-professional help should be developed.

The effect of smartphones on daytime sleepiness, temporomandibular disorders, and bruxism among young adults.

Effects of modern cellular technology on our lives is a relatively new topic of interest. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of smartphone use on daytime sleepiness, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), and bruxism (sleep and awake) among young adults in Israel. Questionnaires on demographic variables, mobile phone use characteristics, anxiety, depression, daytime sleepiness, bruxism (sleep and awake), and diagnosis of TMD were filled in by ultra-Orthodox young adults (18 to 35 years of age) using a simple mobile device with no internet connection, religious young adults who use an internet-connected smartphone solely for work purposes, and secular young adults with an internet-connected smartphone for unlimited use. Various aspects of smartphone use, including being awakened at night by the phone, stress caused by information delivered by the phone, and stress from phone overuse increased the risks of daytime sleepiness, TMD, and bruxism. Those sequelae are associated with substantial negative effects on both the individual and society. High risks of motor vehicle accidents, chronic orofacial pain, and irreversible damage to hard dental tissue structures are some of those negative consequences. The adverse effects of smartphone use on daytime sleepiness, TMD, and bruxism are substantial. Their influence on public health and health care costs are causes of concern. (Quintessence Int 2021;52:548-559; doi: 10.3290/j.qi.b1244431).

“This is capitalism. It is not illegal”: Users’ attitudes toward institutional privacy following the Cambridge Analytica scandal

In this study, we seek to understand the considerations of young adults who chose to continue their active engagement with Facebook even after Cambridge Analytica scandal laid bare the mechanics of economic surveillance. We base our analysis on two sets of in-depth face-to-face interviews we conducted with young adults in Israel—26 before the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which we had already conducted for a study on privacy, and 24 after the scandal erupted. To analyze our respondent’s rationales, we employ Boltanski and Thévenot’s regimes of justification framework. Before the scandal, our respondents largely saw privacy as a commodity, a tradeoff made by the individual—information disclosure in exchange for free personalized digital services. However, there were some respondents who rejected the notion of privacy as a commodity and advanced an alternative perspective that considers it to be a human right. After the Cambridge Analytica scandal, there was a marked shift away from understanding of privacy as a right, which our respondents neither saw an unconditional right nor something enforceable by regulators. Instead, they largely saw economic surveillance as something inherent to the digital world, which one needs to accept if one wants to participate in it.

Pathways to Crime and Emerging Adulthood: Differences between Prison Inmates and Normative Young Adults in Israel

The current study evaluates differences between inmates and normative young male adults based on the Pathways to Crime model. Research findings support the model’s assumptions, showing that inmate characteristics are consistent with the Life-Course Persistent (LCP) pathway, while the characteristics of the non-inmates are mostly consistent with the abstainers’ pathway. This investigation makes a theoretical contribution, demonstrating the model’s suitability for distinguishing between crime pathways among emerging adults. Also, emphasis is placed on emerging adulthood as an intermediate period on the path to adulthood, which can affect the evolution of crime pathways among at-risk populations.

Differences in substance use by sexual orientation and gender among Jewish young adults in Israel

BackgroundThis study focuses on sexual orientation and gender-based differences among Israeli young adult substance use behaviors. In addition, it evaluates young adult perception of substance use and acceptance of substances use by close friends.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study. A self-reported anonymous questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 496 young-adults (age: M = 23.14, SD = 2.48), which included 126 heterosexual males, 128 heterosexual females, 131 gay men, and 111 lesbians.ResultsThis study revealed significant sexual orientation and gender differences in all outcomes examined. Significant substance usage differences were found for same-sex orientation as 52% reported cannabis use and 24% reported using other illegal substances during the past 12 months compared to 34 and 6% (respectively) among heterosexuals. Significant gender differences were found, as male participants reported 50% cannabis use and 19% reported other illegal substance use in the past 12 months compared to 35 and 11% (respectively) among females.Additionally, compared with heterosexuals, gay men and lesbians perceived/assessed significantly higher substance usage rates among their close friends and higher levels of substance use acceptance by close friends. Regression models indicated the important role of respondent perceived and acceptance of substance use among close friends.Binge drinking, cannabis use, and other illegal substance use were positively associated with participants’ perceived substance use and substance use acceptance level by close friends, after controlling for gender, sexual orientation, age, and level of education.ConclusionsClose friends and community norms can play an important role in shaping substance usage among young adults, especially among gay men and lesbians. The results of the current study highlight the need for developing prevention and harm reduction drug policies for Israeli young adults, especially for gay men and lesbians. Interventions should also focus on young adult peers and community norms related to substance use by professionals in educational, policy-making, and therapeutic contexts.

News repertoires, civic engagement and political participation among young adults in Israel

AbstractThis study investigates the cross-media repertoires of news consumption of young adults in today’s fragmented multi-media environment, and examines the interactions between those repertoires and the consumers’ civic engagement and political participation. By using a Q-sort method, the respondents were asked to sort a number of elicitation cards on a relational scalar grid, which allowed for subsequent statistical factor analysis of these qualitative data and the generation of a sub-typology of media consumption repertoires as well as the discursive practices of the respondents. We also used a questionnaire which included questions about news consumption, political participation, and civic engagement. The findings revealed that most young adults used repertoires of digital and new media news consumption. The interviewees were highly conscious of their choices of news sources, and some young adults explicitly stated that they preferred to consume news from sources which reflected their own political views. In this study we were able to map news media repertoires of young adults in Israel and found that young adults do participate, and are largely involved, in activism and protests.

Mental Distress, Well-Being, and Stress-Related Growth following an Anti-LGBQ Hate Crime among LGBQ Young Adults in Israel: The Effect of Familiarity with the Victims and the Mediating Role of Emotional Support

ABSTRACTUsing data from 696 Israeli LGBQ individuals aged 13–30, this study explored the negative (mental distress) and positive changes (well-being and stress-related growth) following the deadliest anti-LGBQ hate crime in Israel to date (the Bar-Noar Massacre), while examining differences in these outcomes between those who did and did not know hate crime victims. Furthermore, the mediating role of emotional support in facilitating better mental health and stress-related growth was tested. Results suggested that compared to those who did not know any victims, those who personally knew the victims sought emotional support from more sources, had higher scores of mental distress, but also of well-being and stress-related growth. Emotional support indeed mediated the relationship between familiarity with hate crime victims and better mental health and higher levels of growth. Increasing access to emotional support may be particularly helpful in addressing the needs of LGBQ young adults following an anti-LGBQ hate crime.

Binge drinking among young adults in Israel: application of the theory of planned behavior

ABSTRACTBinge drinking is common among young people, and is an area of concern in many countries worldwide. Israel has seen a steady increase in binge drinking behaviors in recent years among youth and young adults. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a guiding theoretical framework, this study examines whether attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and intention to engage in binge drinking are correlated with individual participation in binge drinking among young adults aged 18–35 in Israel. Participants (n = 213) completed a cross-sectional survey that included measures of the TPB and binge drinking. Correlations between the TPB variables were conducted and multiple and logistic regression models were calculated to predict binge drinking intention and behavior. Findings show that 38% of the sample reported engaging in binge drinking activities in the past 30 days, and that TPB variables significantly predicted both intent to engage in binge drinking and the behavior itself (explaining 68 and 45% of the variance, respectively). These findings enable us to better understand some of the motivations young people may have for engaging in binge drinking. Results and implications for future education and prevention efforts, research and policy are therefore discussed within a social context.