Summary:
During three professional visits to Gaza and the West Bank; Leninakan, Armenia; and the area around Chernobyl, USSR, observations were made regarding posttraumatic reactions to the emergency-situations in the three areas. These situations and reactions were compared, against the background of the stress-model of Kleber, Brom and Defares. The significance, attached to the shocking experiences with the aim of coping with the traumatic reality, appears to be of special importance for the working through of the experiences. The stress-model could be an excellent medium for more systematic research in similar cases.