USES AND ABUSES OF MENTAL-HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ON ISRAELI RADIO DURING THE PERSIAN-GULF-WAR

Israel's situation during the Persian Gulf War, which caused shock and put the country in a state of emergency, is described in this article . Radio was the dominant medium of communication, Even as the fighting was going on, many complaints were lodged against mental health profe ssionals, mostly psychologists, who began to appear on the radio in an attempt to help the population cope with the situation. In this artic le, reality (the frequency of the appearance of experts, their special ties, and the contents of their messages) is contrasted with the fanta stic claims made against the professionals. It is suggested that most of the claims were invalid and that the appearances of the professiona ls were adequate in both quantity and quality. A hypothesis is offered to explain the gap between the claims and the findings.