Thousands of miles away from the Middle East, Jews in California are showing increased symptoms of depression and anxiety since the October 7th massacre.
By Rachel Avraham
Jews in California are reporting a significant increase in anxiety and depression since the October 7th massacre, according to a new study conducted by the University of California at Davis. The paper, “Mental Health in Californian Jews Before and After October 7, 2023,” was published in the American Psychological Association journal Psychological Trauma on July 28.
“The study highlights the psychological toll of the October 7th Hamas attacks even on Jews living thousands of miles from the conflict. But what is important to note is that concerns about antisemitism right here in the U.S., beyond the trauma from the attack itself, were a key driver of this psychological distress,” said Leah C. Hibel, professor of human ecology at UC Davis and lead author of the paper. “These findings suggest a greater need for mental health providers who have the knowledge, skills and awareness to understand and respect the unique cultural and discriminatory experiences of Jews.”
According to the study, participants included 200 Jewish parents of children between age 2 and 18 who live in California: “Parents were recruited via three methods: (a) connecting with Northern California–based Jewish institutions (Jewish community centers, Jewish day schools and preschools, Jewish religious institutions, PJ Library), (b) placing ads on social media and soliciting participants through Facebook groups that are made up of Jewish individuals residing in Northern California, and (c) snowball sampling of friends and family of consented participants.”
The study declared: “The United States is currently experiencing a historic rise in antisemitism, with Jews being one of the most targeted groups in the United States relative to their small population size. Specifically, federal hate crime data revealed that after African Americans, Jews were victimized more often than any other group, including Asians, Native Americans, Latinos, women, Muslims, gay men, lesbians, and people with disabilities. Furthermore, California reported the second highest number of antisemitic crimes nationally, second only to New York.”
The study continued: “According to these data, while hate crimes of all kinds decreased in California from 2022 to 2023, anti-Jewish hate crimes increased by 53%. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Center on Extremism, an organization dedicated to tracking antisemitic events, revealed similar trends, with more antisemitic events occurring in 2023 than any other year since the organization began tracking antisemitism in 1979. Specifically, compared to 2022, there was a 140% increase in incidents, with assaults increasing by 45%, vandalism increasing by 69%, and harassment increasing by 184%.”
Hibel said the survey showed a 30% increase in depressive symptoms and 45% increase in anxiety symptoms since Oct. 7. Importantly, with over 60% of the participants reporting having experienced an antisemitic event, like having their synagogue vandalized, concerns about antisemitism are driving these symptoms, she said.
According to the study, “In the year following October 7, 2023, the international news cycle focused on the war between Israel and Hamas, while domestic news reported on Congressional hearings highlighting American universities’ failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination and attacks, violence against Jews in the United States and abroad, and surging antisemitism online.”
The report emphasized, “These are distressing events that jeopardize one’s sense of safety, security, and psychological well-being. Thus, as hypothesized, participants were not singularly concerned about the violence of October 7 but also expressed substantial concern about antisemitism. In fact, 26% of participants reported they were extremely concerned about antisemitism, and another 30% reported being very concerned. In other words, most participants (56%) expressed being either very or extremely concerned about antisemitism.”
“Jewish-serving organizations can assist in providing group therapy, support groups, and community gatherings to help those affected to process fears and concerns surrounding the Oct. 7 massacre and the current rise in antisemitism,” the researchers concluded in the paper. “Jewish community leaders should build bridges with existing community mental health organizations to increase the cultural competence of non-Jewish providers.”
