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We ask how state empathy, trait empathy, and role awareness influence dictator game giving in a monetarily incentivized experiment. We manipulated two factors: role awareness (role certainty vs. role uncertainty) and state empathy induction (no empathy induction vs. empathy induction). Under role uncertainty, participants did not know their role as a dictator or a recipient when making their choices. State empathy was induced by asking the dictators to consider what the recipient would feel when learning about the decision. Each participant was randomly assigned into one of the four conditions, and in each condition, participants were randomly assigned into dictator and receiver roles. The role assignment took place before or after decisions were made, depending on the condition. We also studied the direct influence of trait empathy on dictator game giving as well as its interaction with the experimental manipulations. Trait empathy was measured by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) before the experiment. Of our experimental manipulations, role awareness had an effect on dictator game giving; participants donated more under role uncertainty than under role certainty. Instead, we did not observe an effect of state empathy induction. Of trait empathy subscales, only affective empathy was positively associated with dictator game giving. Finally, role awareness did not influence all participants similarly but had a larger impact on those with low scores on trait empathic concern or trait affective empathy. Our results indicate that specific measures to induce altruistic sharing can be effective but their effect may vary depending on certain personal characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective emotion regulation (ER) is expected to protect mental health in traumatic stress. We first analysed the protective (moderator) function of different ER strategies and the associations between ER and mental health. Second, we tested gender differences in the protective function of ER and the associations between ER strategies and mental health. Participants were 482 Palestinian children (girls 49.4%; 10–13 years, M = 11.29, SD =.68) whose ER was assessed by the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and mental health by post‐traumatic stress (Children's Impact Event Scale), depressive, and psychological distress (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) symptoms, and by psychosocial well‐being (Mental Health Continuum‐Short Form). War trauma involved 42 events. Results showed, first, that none of the ER strategies could protect a child's mental health from negative impact of war trauma, but self‐focused ER was associated with low depressive symptoms, and other‐facilitated ER with high psychological well‐being. However, controlling of emotions formed a comprehensive risk for children's mental health. Second, gender differences were found in the protective role of ER, as self‐focused and distractive ER formed a vulnerability among boys. The results are discussed in the context of emotional and regulative demands of war and life‐threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined (1) how attachment style predicts changes in mental health, and (2) whether change in emotion regulation (ER) intensity mediates that association in the context of psychosocial intervention among war-affected children. Participants were 482 Palestinian children whose school classes were randomized to either intervention (Teaching Recovery Techniques, TRT) or waiting-list groups. Attachment style, emotion regulation, and mental health were measured. The children with secure attachment were more likely to gain improved mental health in both conditions, but also preoccupied-insecure children showed improved mental health in the TRT. In the control group, instead, children with more attachment avoidance reported deteriorated mental health, and no changes in mental health was found among preoccupied children. Changes in the ER intensity did not mediate the association between attachment style and mental health in either groups. Discussion focuses on attachment-specific mechanisms underlying recovery from war trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the effectiveness of a psychosocial intervention in reducing mental health symptoms among war-affected children, and the role of peritraumatic dissociation in moderating the intervention impact on posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). School classes were randomized into intervention ( n = 242) and waitlist control ( n = 240) conditions in Gaza, Palestine. The intervention group participated in 16 extracurriculum sessions of teaching recovery techniques (TRT) and the controls received normal school-provided support. Participants were 10- to 13-year-old Palestinian girls (49.4%) and boys (50.6%). Data on PTSS, depressive symptoms, and psychological distress were collected at baseline (T1), postintervention (T2), and 6-month follow-up (T3). Peritraumatic dissociation was assessed only at baseline. Regression analyses that took regression to the mean and cluster sampling into account were applied. The results on intervention effectiveness were specific to gender and peritraumatic dissociation. At T2, the intervention significantly reduced the proportion of clinical PTSS among boys, and both the symptom level ( R2 = .24), and proportion of clinical PTSS among girls who had a low level of peritraumatic dissociation. The results have implications for risk-specific tailoring of psychosocial interventions in war conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined, first, what kind of dreams can protect children's mental health from impacts of war trauma, and, second, analyzed whether a psychosocial intervention (Teaching Recovery Techniques [TRT]) is effective in changing dream characteristics (e.g., bizarreness, emotional valence, and the dreamer's role) to be more beneficial or functional. Dream data of 257 Palestinian children (56.3% girls: 10-13-years) based on 14-night diaries was collected in the aftermath of a major war. Of these children 150 participated in the TRT and 107 were controls. They reported their posttraumatic stress (PTSD), depressive symptoms, and psychosocial well-being at baseline and 6 months follow-up. Principal component analyses revealed 3 dream dimensions: Unpleasant, Fragmented, and Lonely Dreams; Practical, Narrative, and Social Dreams; and Pleasant, Active, and Symbolic Dreams. Practical, Narrative, and Social Dreams could fill a protective function, as war trauma did not negatively impact psychosocial well-being among children who reported these dreams. The TRT was not able to increase more beneficial or reduce dysfunctional dream characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]