The Science of Collective Grief: How Nations Mourn
Grief

The Science of Collective Grief: How Nations Mourn

Grief is often thought of as a private experience—something mourned in bedrooms or at gravesides. But in Israel, grief is collective, echoing through city squares.

January 31, 20241 min read

Grief, for most of history, was thought to be deeply personal. But science now reveals that when trauma strikes an entire nation, grief itself changes shape.

Mental Health First Aid Israel draws on emerging research in collective psychology to guide its approach. Studies of mass tragedies—from natural disasters to terrorist attacks—show that shared mourning rituals, public memorials, and communal storytelling all contribute to faster and more sustainable recovery.

Conversely, when grief is privatized—when people are told to "move on" too quickly—trauma lingers longer.

This is why MHFA Israel promotes public commemoration alongside personal care. The national ceremony, the minute of silence, the shared candle lighting—they are not symbolic gestures but therapeutic necessities.

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