Inquiry on Threats of Evil within the Hostile-World Scenario: Emerging Content and Mental Health Concomitants Among Holocaust Survivors

Exposure to human evil, referring to malevolent deeds that deliberately inflict suffering or death, can be psychologically traumatic. This study examined self-perceived evil-related threats within the conception of hostile-world scenario (HWS) that signifies one’s mental representation of major threats in life. The study explored whether evil-related threats, along with HWS, differentiated Holocaust survivors from comparisons, and how these concepts related to mental health. Participants were Israelis aged 58–93, including 220 Holocaust survivors and 205 non-Holocaust survivors. Participants completed measures of mental health (neuroticism, positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms) and HWS. Evil-related threats were assessed by a 7-item Evil Scale separated from the HWS Questionnaire. Evil-related threats contained two factors, fear of human violence and interpersonal distrust, and correlated with lower mental health. With age and gender controlled, Holocaust survivors were higher than comparisons on evil-related threats and negative engagement with HWS. Beyond associations of HWS (in its negative and positive engagement modes) with mental health, evil-related threats related to higher depressive symptoms among survivors. Results suggest that early traumatic experiences related to perceived threats in later life. Evil-related threats complemented the HWS in associating with mental health. The findings bear implications in approaching victims of evil and trauma.