Military service and reserve duty in combat units entails exposure to traumatic events that require mental adjustment. In light of the results of controlled studies that proved the effectiveness an response-time based mechanized training protocol in reducing risk for post-trauma symptoms in deployed combat soldiers, the Israeli Defense Forces decided at the beginning of the Iron Swords War to implement an internet-based App of the intervention. Soldiers and combat reservists were invited to use the Combat Attention App. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the Combat Attention App in relation to a control group of soldiers who did not use the App in reducing risk for post-traumatic stress symptoms of deployed soldiers.
Participants who used the Combat Attention App before combat deployment and a group of matched (age and sex) participants who did not use the App will be compared on PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms post deployment.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
1,000
The Combat Attention App is a response-time based mechanized preventive intervention designed to train combat soldiers' attention toward threats before combat exposure in order to reduce the risk for combat-related post-trauma symptoms. In light of the results of controlled studies that proved the efficacy of this preventive intervention, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) decided at the beginning of the Iron Swords War (October 7th, 2023) to implement an internet-based App of the intervention, and soldiers and combat reservists were invited to train on the Combat Attention App.
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv, Israel
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
Measures PTSD symptoms according to DSM-5
Time frame: January-June 2025
IDF Medical Records
Holds all the medical information and contact with health/mental health professionals during one's service
Time frame: January-June 2025
Combat Experiences Scale
Measures the occurrence of specific combat events
Time frame: January-June 2025
Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9)
Measures Depression symptoms according to DSM-5
Time frame: January-June 2025
Attention Bias Questionnaire (ABQ)
Measures subjective experiences of attention allocation to threats
Time frame: January-June 2025
GAD-7
measures symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder
Time frame: January-June 2025
Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES)
measures dissociative symptoms associated with trauma exposure
Time frame: January-June 2025
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