Political grief and ambiguous loss in a threatened democracy: psychological distress and civic responses during Israel's judicial reform.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Political transitions can have profound mental health effects, yet political grief remains underexplored. Drawing on ambiguous loss and grief theory, this study examined how perceived democratic backsliding during Israel's 2023 judicial reform affected psychological distress and civic engagement.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 453 Israeli adults opposing the reform. Measures included political ambiguous loss (PAL), political grief (adapted PG-13 scale), psychological distress (DASS-21), political efficacy, and protest participation.

Results

64.9% of participants exceeded the PG-13 threshold, indicating elevated political grief. Moderate to severe depression, stress, and anxiety were reported by 32.0%, 26.3%, and 10.8% of participants, r

SUBMITTER: Yehene E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12834130 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature