Older adults with prejudicial attitudes report higher posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms following exposure to African refugees' violence

This letter addresses the relationship of prejudicial attitudes and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in older adults. Specifically, we examined if older South Tel Aviv residents who experience violence perpetrated by African refugees are at greater risk for PTSD symptoms when they maintain prejudicial attitudes towards the perpetrator group. It has been noted that prejudicial attitudes towards social groups in older adults appear to be driven in part by decreased inhibition of negative evaluations rather than mere cohort effects.