The influences of personality traits on the perception of the terror in Israel and the substance use of young Israelis

The purpose of this study was to find a relation between the terror the Israeli citizens are being exposed to and their substance use. Further possible protecting factors of their personality were investigated. A cross-sectional survey was taken in Israel where several constructs were tested: the participant’s exposure to terror, the perceived stress they experienced, their substance use and two of their personality traits (Positive/Negative Affect and Sensation Seeking). Results revealed a positive correlation between the age of the participant and their substance use, there was a strong positive correlation between gender and the perceived stress level and a positive correlation between the overall exposure to terror and perceived stress. However, no effect was found about a mediating or moderating effect of the personality, or about an overall correlation between the three factors exposure to terror, substance use and personality.