School-Based Intervention for Prevention and Treatment of Elementary-Students’ Terror-Related Distress in Israel: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial

A school-based intervention for preventing and reducing children’s posttraumatic stress-related symptoms,
somatic complaints, functional impairment, and anxiety due to exposure to terrorism was evaluated. In a
quasi-randomized controlled trial, elementary school students were randomly assigned to an eight-session
structured program, “Overshadowing the Threat of Terrorism” or to a waiting list control comparison
group. Two months postintervention, the study group reported significant improvement on all measures.
The authors conclude that a school-based universal intervention may significantly reduce posttraumatic
stress disorder- (PTSD-) related symptoms in children repeatedly exposed to terrorist attacks and propose
that it serve as a component of a public mental health approach dealing with children exposed to ongoing
terrorism in a country ravaged by war and terrorism.