Background: Studies of group debriefing after extreme events have fail
ed to show a significant long-term effect of this technique. However,
the heterogeneity of the interventions studied and the length of time
between debriefing and its assessment do not allow a proper interpreta
tion of these findings. Objective: This study evaluates the immediate
effect of debriefing in Israeli soldiers exposed to combat. Method: Si
x small units (N = 39) have undergone historical group debriefing with
in 72 hours of exposure. State anxiety, self-efficacy, and combat eval
uation were measured before and immediately after the sessions. Result
s: Debriefing was followed by reduction in anxiety, improvement in sel
f-efficacy, and increased homogeneity of the group. Conclusion: These
effects may be attributable to enhancing group cohesion or to a proper
beneficial effect of debriefing.