Surrounded by Darkness, Enfolded in Light: Factors Influencing the Mental Health of Australian Jews in the October 7 Aftermath

Abstract

AbstractThis study examines the effects of social media use on anxiety levels of Australian Jews during the 5-week post-October 7 aftermath. It considers this relationship in the context of the mediating roles played by concerns about rising antisemitism in Australia and concerns about Israel. It further examines the moderating effects on these relationships of non-Jewish friends reaching out with messages of sympathy and concern, and the effects of Jewish communal ties. The analysis is based on data collected from 7611 Australian Jewish adults and employs a series of ordinary least squares regression analyses to assess the direct, indirect, and interaction effects of these variables on anxiety. The results indicate significant direct effects of social media use on anxiety levels. Additionally, concerns about antisemitism in Australia and concerns about Israel were found to mediate these relationships. Non-Jewish friends reaching out frequently with messages of sympathy and concern was found to attenuate the effects of concerns about antisemitism in Australia on anxiety. By contrast, Jewish communal ties were not found to significantly moderate the effects of concern about Israel on anxiety. These findings underscore the complex interplay between social media use, concern about local antisemitism, concern about Israel, and forms of social support in shaping anxiety levels of Australian Jews during this particular time period. The implications for mental health of ethnoreligious groups during crisis and avenues for future research are discussed.