Prof. Yael Lahav

Prof. Yael Lahav is an Associate Professor and trauma researcher specializing in Identification With the Aggressor (IWA) and Doubt Regarding Abuse-Related Appraisals (DARA). She developed the Identification With the Aggressor Scale (IAS), with research linking IWA to revictimization, suicidality, self-harm, PTSD, CPTSD, and aggression toward others.

She also developed the DARA theory and the Abuse Doubt Scale (ADS), which examine survivors’ difficulty forming confident appraisals regarding abuse and its associations with trauma-related psychopathology.

More at: https://www.yael-lahav-lab.com

For the official manual, scale version, and additional materials on the Identification With the Aggressor Scale, see: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/C3JXE

 

Professor Yael Lahav is a trauma researcher specializing in complex trauma, dissociation, and interpersonal victimization. Her research focuses on the psychological processes that shape trauma survivors’ perceptions of themselves, others, and abusive experiences, as well as the implications of these processes for psychopathology, revictimization, and post-traumatic adaptation.

A central contribution of her work is in the area of Identification With the Aggressor (IWA), including the development of the Identification With the Aggressor Scale (IAS), which has advanced the empirical study of traumatic bonding and dissociative survival responses. Her findings demonstrate associations between IWA and a range of clinical outcomes, including revictimization, self-harm, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and complex PTSD (CPTSD).

She also developed the Doubt Regarding Abuse-Related Appraisals (DARA) framework and the Abuse Doubt Scale (ADS), which examine survivors’ difficulties in forming confident appraisals regarding abusive experiences.

Her broader research program adopts a dissociation-informed perspective on trauma adaptation, including the multifaceted nature of post-traumatic growth and its implications for psychological functioning. Her work is published in leading journals in trauma, dissociation, and clinical psychology, and aims to advance both scientific and clinical understanding of complex trauma and its long-term effects.

Y. Lahav, R. Rodin, Z. Solomon. Somatic complaints and attachment in former prisoners of war: A longitudinal study. Psychiatry- Interpersonaland Biological Processes, Vol. 78(4), pp. 354-366, 2015.

 

T. E. Andersen, Y. Lahav, R. Defrin, M. Mikulincer, Z. Solomon. Attachment, security and pain - The disrupting effect of captivity and PTSS. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Vol. 79(6), pp. 471-476, 2015.

 

T. Greene, Y. Lahav, Y. Kanat-Maymon, Z. Solomon. A longitudinal study of Secondary posttraumatic growth in wives of ex-POWs. Psychiatry- Interpersonal and Biological Processes, Vol. 78(2), pp. 186-197, 2015.

 

I. Bronstein, Y. Levin, Y. Lahav, Z. Solomon. World assumptions among wives of former prisoners of war. Journal of Family Issues, Vol. 37(12), pp. 1746-1767, 2016.

 

Y. Lahav, Z. Solomon, Y. Levin. Posttraumatic growth and perceived health: The role of posttraumatic stress symptoms. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Vol. 86(6), pp. 693-703, 2016.

 

A. Elklit, K. Karen-Inge., Y. Lahav, T. Andersen. Attachment and posttraumatic stress disorder in multiple trauma samples. Journal of Psychiatry, 19(3), 370, 2016, doi:10.4172/2378-5756.1000370

 

Y. Lahav, J. Y. Stein, Z. Solomon. Keeping a healthy distance: Self-differentiation and perceived health among ex-POWs' wives. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Vol. 89, pp. 61-68, 2016.

 

Y. Lahav, A. Elklit. The cycle of healing - dissociation and attachment during treatment of CSA survivors. Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 60, pp. 67-76, 2016.

 

Y. Lahav, E. Bellin, Z. Solomon. Posttraumatic growth and shattered world assumptions among ex-POWs: The role of dissociation. Psychiatry- Interpersonal and Biological Processes, Vol. 79, pp. 418-432, 2016.

 

L. Crompton, Y. Lahav, Z. Solomon. Auditory hallucinations and PTSD in ex-POWs. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, Vol. 18(5), pp. 663-678, 2016.

 

R. Defrin, Y. Lahav, Z. Solomon. (2017). Dysfunctional pain modulation in trauma survivors: the mediating effect of PTSD. Journal of Pain, Vol. 18(1), pp. 1-10, 2017.

 

J. Y. Stein, Y. Lahav, Z. Solomon. Self-disclosing trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms in couples: A longitudinal study. Psychiatry- Interpersonal and Biological Processes, Vol. 80(1), pp. 79-91, 2017.

 

Y. Lahav, Y. Levin, M. Bensimon, Y. Kanat-Maymon, Z. Solomon. Secondary traumatization and differentiation among ex-POWs' wives: a reciprocal association. Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 30(4), pp. 399-408, 2017.

 

T. E. Andersen, Y. Lahav, H. Ellegaard, C. Manniche. A randomized controlled trial of brief somatic-experiencing for chronic back pain. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, Vol. 8, pp. 1-9, 2017.

 

Y. Lahav, Y. Kanat-Maymon, Z. Solomon. Posttraumatic growth and dyadic adjustment among war veterans and their wives. Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 8, pp. 1102, 2017.

 

N. Tsur, G. Shahar, R. Defrin, Y. Lahav, K. Ginzburg. Torturing personification of chronic pain in torture survivors. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Vol. 99, pp. 155-161, 2017.

 

S. Navon, J. Meyerson, Y. Lahav. Two-Track Differentiation Paradigm in Psychotherapy. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, Vol. 48(1), pp. 27-32, 2017.

 

N. Tsur, R. Defrin, Y. Lahav, Z. Solomon. The traumatized body: Long-term PTSD and its implications for the orientation towards bodily signals. Psychiatry Research, Vol. 261, pp. 281-289, 2018.

 

S. L. Ravn, M. Sterling, Y. Lahav, T. E. Andersen. Reciprocal associations of pain and post-traumatic stress symptoms after whiplash injury: A longitudinal, cross-lagged study. European Journal of Pain, Vol. 22(5), pp. 926-934, 2018.

 

Y. Lahav, S. Avidor, J. Y. Stein, X. Zhou, Z. Solomon. Telomere length and Depression among Ex-Prisoners-of-War: The Role of Subjective Age. Journals of Gerontology B Psychol Sci Soc Sci, Vol. 00, pp.1-9, 2018.

 

Y. Lahav, A. Siegel, Z. Solomon. Twofold Trauma Exposure – The Dual Function of Attachment Avoidance. Attachment & Human Development, Vol. 20(5), pp. 514-531, 2018.

 

J. Y. Stein, Y. Levin, Y. Lahav, O. Uziel, H. Abumock, Z. Solomon. Perceived social support, loneliness and later life telomere length following wartime captivity. Health Psychology, Vol. 37(11), pp. 1067-1076, 2018.

 

Y. Lahav, K. D. Renshaw, Z. Solomon. (2018). Domestic Abuse and Forgiveness among Military Spouses. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, Vol. 28(2), pp. 243-260, 2018.

 

Y. Lahav, A. Talmon, K. Ginzburg, D. Spiegel. Reenacting Past Abuse – Identification with the Aggressor and Sexual Revictimization. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, Vol. 20(4), pp. 378-391, 2019.

 

Y. Lahav, N. Price, L. Crompton, A. Laufer, Z. Solomon. Sexual satisfaction in spouses of ex-POWs: The role of PTSD symptoms and self-differentiation. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, Vol. 45(8), pp. 755-766, 2019.

 

Y. Lahav, K. Ginzburg, D. Spiegel. (2019). Posttraumatic Growth, Dissociation and Sexual Revictimization in Female Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors. Child Maltreatment, 2019.

 

Y. Lahav, A. Talmon, K. Ginzburg. Knowing the abuser inside and out: The development and psychometric evaluation of the Identification with the Aggressor Scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2019.

 

Y. Lahav, Z. Solomon, A. Siegel, N. Tsur, R. Defrin. Punishing the Self: Posttraumatic Guilt mediates the link between trauma and deficient pain modulation. Journal of Pain, 2019.

 

A. Gewirtz-Meydan, Y. Lahav, W. Walsh, D. Finkelhor. Psychopathology among adult survivors of child pornography. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104189

 

Y. Lahav, S. Allende, A. Talmon, K. Ginzburg. D. Spiegel. Identification with the Aggressor and Inward and Outward Aggression in Abuse Survivors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, pp.1-24, 2020.

 

Y. Lahav. Painful bonds: Identification with the aggressor and distress among IPV survivors. Journal of Psychiatric Research, pp.26-31, 2021.

 

S. Avidor, A. Abu Hamam, Y. Lahav. The Toll of Feeling Older: Subjective Age Moderates the Associations between Anxiety Sensitivity and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression during COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Gerontology B Psychol Sci Soc Sci, in press.

 

Y. Lahav, S. Avidor, D. Levy, A. Ohry, G. Zeilig, M. Lahav, H. Golander, A. Chacham-Guber, O. Uziel, R. Defrin. Shorter telomeres among individuals with physical disability: The moderating role of perceived stress. Journal of Gerontology B Psychol Sci Soc Sci, in press.

 

Y. Lahav. Hyper-sensitivity to the Perpetrator and the Likelihood of Returning to Abusive Relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2022, doi:10.1177/08862605221092075

 

A. Siegel, E. Shaked, Y. Lahav. A complex relationship: Intimate partner violence, identification with the aggressor, and guilt. Violence Against Women, , pp 1-15, 2022, doi: 10.1177/10778012221137917

 

A. S. Eliav, Y. Lahav. Posttraumatic growth, dissociation and identification with the aggressor among childhood abuse survivors. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 2023,  doi: 10.1080/15299732.2023.2181478

 

T. Rosenberg, Y. Lahav, K. Ginzburg. Child abuse and eating disorder symptoms: Shedding light on the contribution of identification with the aggressor. Child Abuse & Neglect, 135, p. 105988, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105988

 

S. Bøgelund Dokkedahl, S. Charny, Y. Lahav. Testing Previously Proposed Models of the Tonic Immobility Scale in a Peri-traumatic Sample of Israeli Civilians: Support for a Three-Factor Model. Psychological Trauma-Theory Research Practice and Policy, 16(1), 21-29, 2023, doi:10.1037/tra0001499

 

S. Bøgelund Dokkedahl, Y. Lahav. A prospective study of the mediating role of tonic immobility and peritraumatic dissociation on the four DSM-5 symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2023

 

S. Charny, G. Cao, L. Gafter, T. Bar-Shalita, Y. Lahav. Sensory Modulation and Trauma-related Symptoms during Rocket Attacks. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, Vol.14(2), p.2213110, 2023, doi: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2213110

 

Horesh, D, Y. Lahav. When one tool is not enough: An integrative psychotherapeutic approach to treating Complex PTSD. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2024, doi: 10.1002/jclp.23688

 

S. Bøgelund Dokkedahl, Y. Lahav. Peritraumatic Dissociation and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms: The Moderating Role of Perceived Threat. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 15:1, 2338670, 2024, doi: 10.1080/20008066.2024.2338670

 

Y. Lahav, M. Cloitre, P. Hyland, M. Shevlin, M. Ben-Ezra, T. Karatzias. Complex PTSD and identification with the aggressor among survivors of childhood abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2024, doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107196

 

M. Huberman, L. Gafter, T. Bar-Shalita, Y. Lahav. Sensory modulation difficulties and PTSD: A prospective study during and after rocket attacks. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. doi: org/10.1037/tra0001867, 2025.

 

Y. Lahav, S. Avidor, L. Gafter, A. Lotan. A double betrayal: The implications of institutional betrayal for trauma-related symptoms in intimate partner violence survivors. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 2025, Advance online publication. doi.org/10.1037/ort0000826

 

E. Porat-Moeller, A. Keidar, L. Gafter, Y. Lahav. Shadows of doubt: Ambivalent acknowledgment of abuse and identification with the aggressor. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2025, 163, 107401. doi: org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107401

 

T. Rosenberg, Y. Lahav, K. Ginzburg. Identification with the aggressor and the body self: The role of body boundaries and trust in the body. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2025, doi:org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107536

 

H. Stricher-Stern, A. Shalev, Y. Lahav.  Broken trust – Institutional betrayal and posttraumatic distress in mothers of children with neuropsychiatric disorders. Social Science & Medicine, 2025, doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118289

 

N.A. Kidra, L. Gafter, T. Bar-Shalita , Y. Lahav. Sensory modulation difficulties and complex PTSD among child abuse survivors, European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 16:1, 2512672, 2025, doi: 10.1080/20008066.2025.2512672

 

Y. Lahav, M. Ben-Ezra. Institutional betrayal in the face of a collective national trauma in Israel. The Lancet Regional Health–Europe, 2024, 42, p.100942, doi: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100942.

 

Y. Lahav, M. Huberman, S. Bøgelund Dokkedahl, L. Gafter. Agonizing Uncertainty: The Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Abuse Doubt Scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence,  2025, doi: 10.1177/08862605251372577

 

Y. Lahav., A. Shalev. Behind the Scenes: Affiliate Stigma and Posttraumatic Distress Among Mothers of Children With Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Stress and Health, 2025, 41(5), doi:10.1002/smi.70118.

 

Y. Lahav, M. Cloitre, P. Hyland, M. Shevlin, M. Ben-Ezra, T. hanos Karatzias. The Relationship Between Different Forms of Childhood Abuse and Subsequent Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Complex PTSD Symptoms Among Israeli Women. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 2026, doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.160.8.1453