Summary of My Activities and Future Plans
My academic work is focused on four main domains of research, which include well-being among older adults; the effect of exposure to potentially traumatic events; views on aging; and psychotherapeutic interventions with older adults. Old age is the period when the tension between past adversities and physical and psychological deterioration reaches its peak. I see psychological aspects of aging (as manifested by well-being, optimism, and subjective views on aging), as a form of psychological reserve. As such, they are related to coping resources that may mitigate the effects of adversities and promote adjustment in old age. From this perspective, positive psychological aspects of aging can be also improved through psychological interventions, and in turn create a favorable psychological environment that buffers and protects against the effect of life adversities and aging processes.
Following my research over the years, I direct my efforts as a researcher not only to descriptive academic work, but also to work that leads to interventions and vehicles for positive change in the lives of older adults. Together with my colleagues and students I have initiated and contributed to several studies in last few years, that examined psychological interventions aimed at improving the quality of lives of older adults in diverse institutions as well as in the community. These interventions were based on a theoretical concept that I developed, of life-crossroads. This notion has been applied in diverse therapeutic techniques, including playback theater and bibliotherapy, and has also been integrated in other psychological concepts, such as existentialism and future time perspective. Another form of intervention I have been developing focuses on improving the communication between individuals suffering from dementia and their caregivers. Alongside these practical interventions, I also lead with my colleagues and students the development of the concept of psychological solitude. This innovative concept is aimed at changing and developing a new language that can enhance the field of loneliness and time spent alone. Our findings are encouraging and I believe that this theoretical concept will affect the academic literature as well as the field of applied gerontology. Finally, I developed a questionnaire that evaluates the notion of subjective traumatic outlook. This questionnaire integrates between the phenomenological psychiatric perspective and the psychological clinical inner perspective for evaluating the effect of exposure to traumatic events. This concept has made an important theoretical contribution to the field of trauma, and may promote better communication between practitioners from different fields.
My efforts are also directed towards spreading and assimilating these ideas in the community. I am the co-founder and co-director of the first school for psychotherapy for older adults in Israel, and we are currently marking the completion of the three-year program for the first time by our first class. In addition, I was chosen to be a guest editor in two important international journals and one national journal. This role gives me the opportunity to advance issues that I try to explore and promote in my studies (i.e., views on aging, trauma among older adults, and psychotherapy with older adults). Additionally, I was elected this year to be the chair of the next international stress and anxiety research society conference that will be held in Israel and to be the chair of the scientific committee for the next Israeli gerontological society conference. These two events give me the opportunity to make an impact on the professional discourse in these fields, by giving the issue of trauma in old age – a research field that is often overlooked – a more central place on the stage of the former conference, and by enhancing the debate on psychological aspects of aging in the latter conference.
To sum, I feel that in the last year I have been able to fulfil my academic mission, to integrate between intensive and demanding academic research, with applying social ideas for improving the lives of older adults. In the future, I hope to further develop these topics theoretically and practically, and to spread this social ideology on national and international academic stages.
*33a. Similar version of this paper was published as a chapter in an edited book: see item E 3.
*52. Ben-Ezra, M., Goodwin, R., Palgi, Y., Kaniasty, K., Crawford, M.Z., Weinberger, A., & Hamama-Raz, Y. (2014). Concomitants of perceived sense of trust in medical and hospital services following Hurricane Sandy. Psychiatry Research, 220, 1160-1162. (IF: 2.467, R 41/133 - Psychiatry, Q2, V).
*58. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., Ben-Ezra, M., Spalter, T., Kavé, G., & Shmotkin, D. (2014). Age-related and death-related differences in emotional complexity. Psychology and Aging, 29, 284-296. (IF: 2.646, R 7/32 - Gerontology, Q1, V; APA Journal).
*59. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., Goodwin, R., Hamama-Raz, Y., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2014). Fear of aging moderates PTSD symptoms among older adults exposed to Hurricane Sandy. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22, 741. (IF: 4.235, R 2/32 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
*60. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., Hamama-Raz, Y., Haviv-Palgi, S., Goodwin, R., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2014). Not so close but still extremely loud: Recollection of the World Trade Center terror attack and fear of future terror attacks moderate the association between exposure to Hurricane Sandy and clinical level of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 55, 807-812. (IF: 2.252, R 46/133 - Psychiatry, Q2).
*61. Palgi, S., Palgi, Y., Ben-Ezra, M., & Shrira, A. (2014). I will fear no evil, for I am with me: Mentalization-oriented intervention with PTSD patients – A case study. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 43, 1-10 (V).
*62. Shrira, A., Bodner, E., & Palgi, Y. (2014). The interactive effect of subjective age and subjective distance-to-death on psychological distress of older adults. Aging and Mental Health, 18, 1066-1070. (IF: 1.751, R 11/32- Gerontology, Q2, V).
*63. Shrira, A., Palgi, Y., Hamama-Raz, Y., Goodwin, R., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2014). Previous exposure to the World Trade Center Terrorist Attack and posttraumatic symptoms among older adults following Hurricane Sandy. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 77, 374-385. (IF: 3.048, R 33/133 – Psychiatry, Q1, V).
#*64. Abu Al Higa, & Palgi, Y. (2015). The relation between how life story is told through life landmarks and successful aging, and regulating role of the cognitive tendency of focusing on positive information. Gerontology and Geriatrics, 42, 103-120. (Hebrew).
*65. Ben-Ezra, M., Palgi, Y., & Goodwin, R. (2015). The impact of the ‘Bodies’ exhibition on mental health indices and death related fears: a longitudinal study. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 76, 467-467. (IF: 5.408, R 7/122- Clinical psychology, Q1, V)
*66. Ben-Ezra, M., Hamama-Raz, Y., Palgi, S., & Palgi, Y. (2015). Cognitive appraisal and psychological distress among patients with irritable bowel syndrome. The Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, 52, 54-60. (IF: 0.821, R 123/142 - Psychiatry, Q4, V).
*67. Ben-Ezra, M., Palgi, Y., Hamama-Raz, Y., & Shrira, A. (2015). Factors predicting risk for PTSD among highly exposed civilians: Two longitudinal studies. Psychiatric Quarterly, 86, 19-32. (IF = 1.430, R 77/133 - Psychiatry, Q3, V).
*68. Ben-Ezra, M., Shigemura, J., Palgi, Y., Hamama-Raz, Y., Lavenda, O., Suzuki, M., & Goodwin, R. (2015). From Hiroshima to Fukushima: PTSD symptoms and radiation stigma across regions. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 60, 185-186. (IF: 4.465, R 16/139 - Psychiatry, Q1, V).
*69. Ferbstien, R., Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2015). The association between religiosity and psychological factors among Holocaust survivors. Gerontology and Geriatrics, 42, 13-32 (Hebrew).
*70. Goodwin, R., Palgi, Y., Lavenda, O., Hamama-Raz, Y., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2015). Association between media use, acute stress disorder and psychological distress following Typhoon Haiyan. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 1, 84, 253-254. (IF = 7.632, R 5/139 - Psychiatry, Q1, V).
*71. Hamama-Raz, Y., Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., Goodwin, R., Kaniasty, K., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2015). Gender differences in psychological reactions to Hurricane Sandy among New York metropolitan area residents. Psychiatric Quarterly, 86, 285-296. (IF = 1.430, R 77/133 - Psychiatry, Q3, V).
*72. Hamama, Y., Shrira, A., Ben Ezra, M., & Palgi, Y. (2015). The Recursive Effects of Quality of Life and Functional Limitation among Older Adult Cancer Patients: Evidence from the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe. European Journal of Cancer Care, 24, 205-212. (IF = 1.794, R 13/114 - Nursing, Q1, V).
*73. Palgi, Y. (2015). Predictors of the new criteria for probable PTSD among older adults. Psychiatry Research, 230, 777–782. (IF: 2.466, R 42/139 - Psychiatry, Q2, V).
*74. Palgi, Y., Gelkopf, M., & Berger, R. (2015). The Inoculating Role of Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Life Events in Prolonged Exposure to Rockets Fire: A Life-span Perspective. Psychiatry Research, 227, 296-301. (IF: 2.466, R 42/139 - Psychiatry, Q2, V).
*75. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2015). Family involvement and Holocaust salience among offspring and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 13, 6-21. (invited paper, V).
*76. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., & Zaslavsky, O. (2015). Quality of life attenuates age-related decline in functional status of older adults. Quality of Life Research, 24, 1835-1843. (IF: 2.429, R 22/153 – Public, environmental & occupational health, Q1, V).
#*77. Shasha, T., Palgi, Y., & Cohen, M. (2015). A comparison of the levels of posttraumatic growth and resilience among Holocaust survivors and comparison group, and their transmission to the second and third generations. Gerontology and Geriatrics, 42, 33-44. (Hebrew).
#*78. Shifriss, R., Bodner, E., & Palgi, Y. (2015). When you're down and troubled: Views on the regulatory power of music. Psychology of Music, 43, 793-807. (IF: 2.010, R 16/57 – Psychology, educational, Q2, V).
*79. Shrira, A., Bodner, E., & Palgi, Y. (2015). Emotional complexity and its effect on psychological distress as a function of chronological age and subjective distance-to-death. Aging and Mental Health. 19, 1056-1062. (IF: 1.861, R 12/32 - Gerontology, Q2, V).
*80. Shrira, A., Shmotkin, D., Palgi, Y., Soffer, Y., Hamama Raz, Y., Tal- Katz, P Ben-Ezra, M., & Benight, C. (2015). How do meaning in life and affect interact in regulating posttraumatic distress? The case of firefighters exposed to the 2010 Mount Carmel forest fire. The Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, 52, 68-70. (IF: 0.8219, R 123/142 - Psychiatry, Q4, V).
*81. Shrira, A., Zaslavsky, O., LaCroix, A. Z., Rillamas-Sun, E., Schnall, E., Woods, N., Cochrane, B., Garcia, L., Hingle, M., Post, S., Seguin, R., Tindle, H., & Palgi, Y. (2015). Global Quality of Life Modifies Terminal Change in Physical Functioning among Older Adult Women. Age and Ageing, 44, 520-524. (IF: 4.201, R 7/49 – Geriatrics & gerontology, Q1, V).
*82. Zaslavsky, O. Palgi, Y., LaCroix, A. Z., Rillamas-Sun, E., Schnall, E., Woods, N., Cochrane, B., Garcia, L., Hingle, M., Post, S., Seguin, R., Tindle, H., & Shrira, A. (2015). The Limits of Optimism: The Effect of Dispositional Optimism on Age-Related and Death-Related Change in Global Quality of Life. Developmental Psychology, 51, 856-863. (IF: 3.116, R 16/69 – Developmental psychology, Q1, V) (APA journal).
*83. Ayalon, L., & Palgi, Y., Avidor, S., & Bodner, E. (2016). Accelerated increase and decrease in subjective age as a function of changes in loneliness and objective social indicators over a four-year period: Results from the Health and Retirement Study. Aging and Mental Health, 20, 743-751. (IF: 2.658, R 8/32 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
*84. Grossman, E., Hoffman, Y., Bodner, E., Palgi, Y., Gottlieb, M., Mesika, O., Ben-Ezra, M., & Shrira, A. (2016). Psychological effects following the Iran nuclear deal: Iranian nuclear threat salience moderates the relationship between PTSD symptoms and sleep problems. Psychiatry Research, 243, 292-294. (IF: 2.466, R 46/139 - Psychiatry, Q2).
*85. Gur-Yaish, N., Prilutzky, D., & Palgi, Y. (2016). Predictors of psychotherapy use among community-dwelling older adults with depressive symptoms. Clinical Gerontologist, 39, 127-138. (IF: 0.593, R 29/32 - Gerontology, Q4, V).
*86. Hamama-Raz, Y., Walker, R., Palgi, Y., Mashiach, R., Lee-Ovadia, K., Manny, A., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2016). Comorbidity of posttraumatic stress symptoms and depressive symptoms among Obstetric nurses. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences. 53, 58-63. (IF: 0.789, R 120/140 - Psychiatry, Q4, V).
*87. Palgi, Y. (2016). Subjective age and distance-to-death moderate the association between posttraumatic stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth among older adults? Aging and Mental Health. 20, 948-954. (IF: 2. 658, R 8/32 - Gerontology, Q1, V) (7 pages).
*88. Palgi, Y., & Shrira, A. (2016). A Cross-cultural longitudinal examination of the effect of cumulative adversity on the mental and physical health of older adults. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 8, 172-179. (IF: 1.584, R 68/121 - Clinical psychology, Q3, V). (APA journal).
*89. Shrira, A., Bodner, E., & Palgi, Y. (2016). Searching for the critical positivity ratio of flourishing individuals: Examining ratios across methodological variations and along the lifespan. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11, 109-123 (IF: 2.327, R 31/129 - Psychology interdisciplinary, Q1, V).
*90. Shrira, A., Palgi, Y., Ben-Ezra, M., Hoffman, Y., & Bodner, E. (2016). A Youthful age identity mitigates the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms on successful aging. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24, 174-175. (IF: 2.868, R 6/32 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
*91. Shrira, A., Palgi, Y., Bodner, E., & Shmotkin, D. (2016). Which category of live adversity accelerates physical impairment among Israeli older adults? European Journal of Ageing, 13, 323-334. (IF: 1.177, R 20/36 - Gerontology, Q3, V).
*92. Avidor, S., Palgi, Y., Bodner, E., & Ayalon, L. (2017). Longitudinal associations between age discrimination and mental health: Variations by actual age and estimated maximum age. Aging & Mental Health, 21, 761-765. (IF: 2.663, R 8/36 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
*93. Avidor, S., Palgi, Y., & Solomon, Z. (2017). Lower Subjective Life Expectancy in Later Life is a Risk Factor for Posttraumatic Symptoms among Trauma Survivors. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 9, 198-206. (IF: 2.673, R 37/127 - Clinical psychology, Q2, V). (APA journal).
*94. Bodner, E., Ayalon, L., Avidor, S., & Palgi, Y. (2017). Accelerated and slower increase in subjective age as a function of less positive perceptions of aging over a four-year period: Results from the Health and Retirement Study. European Journal of Ageing, 14, 17-27. (IF: 1.450, R 20/36 - Gerontology, Q3).
**95. Hamama-Raz, Y., Palgi, Y., Lavenda, O., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2017). Typhoon survivors' perceptions of well-being - A different view of responses to natural disaster. Plos One, 12, e0184327. (IF: 2.766, R 15/64 - Multidisciplinary sciences, Q1, V)
#*96. Keisari, S., & Palgi, Y. (2017). Life-crossroads on stage: The effect of life review technics in a drama therapy group on aspects of mental health and psychological well-being of older adults. Aging and Mental Health, 21, 1079-1089. (IF: 2.663, R 8/36 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
*97. Palgi, Y. (2017). Matter of will: Subjective nearness-to-death moderates the association between probable PTSD and the will-to-live among older adults. Psychiatry Research, 249, 180-186. (IF: 2.223, R 61/142 - Psychiatry, Q2).
*98. Palgi, Y., Ayalon, L., Avidor, S., & Bodner, E., (2017). Changes in positive and negative affect as predictors of change in felt age: Results from the health and retirement study. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12, 605-612. (IF: 2.594, R 25/135 - Psychology interdisciplinary, Q1).
**99. Palgi, Y., Ben-Ezra, M., & Shrira, A. (2017). The theoretical and psychometric properties of the Subjective Traumatic Outlook (STO) questionnaire. Psychiatry Research, 253, 165-173. (IF: 2.223, R 61/142 - Psychiatry, Q2).
*100. Palgi, Y., Bensimon, M., & Bodner, E. (2017). Motives of mentalization among older adults exposed to potentially traumatic life events. Traumatology, 23, 273-281. (APA journal).
**101. Palgi, Y., Grossman, E., Hoffman, Y., Pitcho-Prelorentzos, S., David, U.Y., Ben-Ezra, M., (2017). When the human spirit helps? The moderating role of somatization on the association between Olympic game viewing and the will-to-live. Psychiatry Research, 257, 438-440. (IF: 2.223, R 61/142 - Psychiatry, Q2).
**102. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., & Hoffman, Y., )2017). Negative and positive perceptions of media sources and PTSD symptoms among older adults exposed to missile attacks. Personality and Individual Differences, 119, 185-188. (IF: 1.967, R 24/63 – Social Psychology, Q2, V).
**103. Segel-Karpas, D., Shrira, A., & Palgi, Y. (2017). The reciprocal relationship between depression and physical morbidity: The role of subjective age. Health Psychology, 36, 848-851. (IF: 3.177, R 27/127 – Psychology, Clinical, Q1).
*104. Shrira, A., Shmotkin, D., Palgi, Y., Hoffman, Y., Bodner, E., Ben-Ezra, M., Litwin, H. (2017). Older adults exposed to ongoing and intense time-limited missile attacks: Differences in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 80, 64-78. (IF: 2.186, R 62/142 – Psychiatry, Q2, V).
**105. Bodner, E., Hoffman, Y., Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., (2018). A Light in a Sea of Darkness: The Moderating Role of Emotional Complexity in the PTSD Symptoms-Successful Aging Association. Aging and Mental Health, 22, 826-833. (IF: 2.956, R 7/36 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
**106. Gum, A., Segel-Karpas, D., Avidor, S., Ayalon, L., Bodner, E., & Palgi, Y., (2018). Grip strength and quality of life in the second half of life: Hope as a moderator. Aging and Mental Health, 22, 1600-1605. (IF: 2.956, R 7/36 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
**107. Hoffman, Y., Shrira, A., Kedar, M., Ben-Ezra, M., Koren, L., Grossman, E., Dinnayi, M., Bayan, R., Palgi, Y., & Zivotofsky, A.Z. (2018). Complex PTSD and its correlates amongst female Yazidi victims of sexual Jihad residing in Post-ISIS Camps. World Psychiatry. 17, 112-113. (IF: 34.024, R 1/142 - Psychiatry, Q1, V).
#**108. Keisari, S., Yaniv, D., Palgi, Y., Gesser-Edelsburg, A. (2018). Conducting Playback Theatre with Older Adults – A Therapist’s Perspective. Arts in Psychotherapy, 60, 72-81. (IF: 1.348, R 86/127 –psychology, clinical Q3, V).
**109. Palgi, Y., Avidor, S., Shrira, A., Bodner, E., Ben-Ezra, M., Zaslavsky, O., & Hoffman, Y. (2018). Perception counts: The moderating role of Inner perspective of trauma on PTSD symptoms across time. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 81, 361-375. (IF: 1.873, R 76/142 – Psychiatry, Q3, V).
**110. Palgi, Y., Ayalon, L., Avidor, S., Bodner, E., & Segal-Karpas, D. (2018). On the edge: The association between extreme values of felt age, physical and mental health and social functioning in the second half of life. Psychiatry Research, 270, 538-543. (IF: 2.208, R 62/142 - Psychiatry, Q2, V).
**111. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., Kavé, G., Rubinstien, T., & Shmotkin, D. (2018). What Factors Older Adults Consider when Estimating the Time Left for Them to Live?
Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 74, 69-73. (IF: 3.213, R 5/32 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
**112. Shrira, A., Palgi, Y., Hoffman, Y., Avidor, S., Bodner, E., Ben-Ezra, M., & Bensimon, M. (2018). Subjective age moderates the reciprocal effects between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and physical functioning. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1746. (IF: 2.129, R 40/137 – Psychology, multidisciplinary, Q2).
**113. Mahat-Shamir, M., Lavenda, O., Palgi, Y., Hamama-Raz, Y., Greenblatt Kimron, L., Pitcho-Prelorentzos, S., Ring, L., Bar-Shua, E., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2019). Subjective Traumatic Outlook as a screening tool for psychological trauma: Cut-off values and diagnostic criteria. Psychiatry Research, 273, 121-126. (IF: 2.208, R 62/142 - Psychiatry, Q2, V).
**114. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., Avidor, S., Hoffman, Y., Bodner, E., & Ben-Ezra, M. (2019). Understanding the Long-Term Connections between Posttraumatic Stress, Subjective Age, and Successful Aging among Midlife and Older Adults. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10, 1583523. (IF: 3. 020, R 28/130 – Psychology, clinical, Q1, V)
**115. Segel-Karpas, D., Palgi, Y. (2019). “I am just having a senior moment”: The Role of Subjective age in the effect of memory decline on self-rated memory. Aging and Mental Health, 23, 272-276. (IF: 2.956, R 7/36 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
Accepted for Publication
**116. Levaot, Y., Greene, T., & Palgi, Y., Making and receiving offers of help on social media following disaster predict posttraumatic growth but not posttraumatic stress. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. (IF: 1.031, R 136/164 – Public, environmental and occupational health, Q4, V).
#**117. Shifriss, R, Bodner, E, Palgi, Y,. Don’t let me down: The effect of age and chosen music on mood is moderated by focus on emotions. Journal of Positive Psychology. (IF: 3.225, R 22/137 - Psychology multidisciplinary, Q1, V).
**#118. Spitzer, N., Segel-Karpas, D., & Palgi, Y., The interaction between close social relationships and subjective age predicts loneliness. International Psychogeriatrics. (IF: 2.478, R 43/130 - Psychology clinical, Q2, V).
**119. Shrira, A., Segel-Karpas, D., Bodner, E., & Palgi, Y. Subjective age and emotion covariation: Findings from two daily experience studies. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences (IF: 3.418, R 5/36 - Gerontology, Q1, V).
(which are not Conference Proceedings)
Published
*5. Palgi, Y., Shrira, A., & Shmotkin, D. (2015). Aging with trauma across the lifetime and experiencing trauma in old age: Vulnerability and resilience intertwined. In K. E. Cherry, Traumatic stress and long-term recovery: Coping with disasters and other negative life events (pp. 293-308). New York: Springer.
**6. Bodner, E., Palgi, Y., & Wyman, M. F. (2018). The impact of ageism on mental health assessment and treatment of older adults. In L., Ayalon, & C., Tesch-Römer (Eds.), European perspectives on ageism. New York: Springer.