Introduction: With more than 1,300 civilians murdered and 240 civilians kidnapped, the terrorist attack of October 7 is one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in modern history. An increase in depression following terrorist attacks, as well as links between depression and suicide ideation (SI) have been priviosuly documented. In this national prospective cohort study, we examined to what extent a sense of belongingness moderates the association between depression and SI in the wake of the October 7th terrorist attack.
Methods: A representative sample of 710 Israeli adults (362 female, 51.1%), Jews (557, 79.9%), and Arabs (153, 20.1%), aged 18-85 (M = 41.01, SD = 13.72) completed validated self-report questionnaires assessing depression, current SI, and belongingness at two timepoints: T1 (in August 2023, 6-7 weeks before the attack) and T2 (in November 2023, 5-6 weeks after the attack).
Results: Depression levels at T1 and T2 significantly contributed to current SI levels at T2. Moreover, belongingness at T1 predicted SI at T2 beyond demographic and trauma-related characteristics. Importantly, we found a significant interaction in which a sense of belongingness at T1 moderated the link between both depression and current SI at T2. Specifically, level of depression at T2 contributed to current SI-T2 more strongly for indivuduals with thwarted belongingness levels than for individuals with high belongingness levels.
Discussion: Our study highlights the impact of a sense of belongingness on SI following the October 7th terrorist attack. Clinicians treating individuals coping with depression should attend to their patients’ sense of belongingness, as low belongingness comprises a significant risk factor for current SI. Moreover, community and national initiatives that could increase levels of belongingness among the citizens may help to diminish suicide risk in the aftermath of the attack.