{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T12:00:37Z","timestamp":1777896037056,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771372800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Omega (Westport)"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examines the phenomenological experience of 20 twin-combatants who lost their twin brother or sister in the \u201cIron Swords\u201d War (October 2023 onwards) under conditions of ongoing trauma. Through the prism of \u201cDisenfranchised Grief\u201d and Reflexive Thematic Analysis, the research analyzes the tension between the somatic-identity experience and the warrior ethos and moral covenant. Three central themes were identified: \u201cThe Body as the Arena of Trauma,\u201d which includes somatic synchronization; \u201cThe Collapse of the We,\u201d dealing with the loss of dyadic identity; and a distinct axis of \u201cThe Broken Covenant,\u201d examining the complexities of survivor guilt and Moral Injury. The findings indicate that losing a twin in combat constitutes a \u201cdouble trauma\u201d-of the sibling and of the self. The study reveals how the military structure and warrior ethos create a silencing of the uniqueness of the loss, thereby pushing the survivor into a state of \u201cFrozen Grief\u201d expressed in unique physical symptoms (\u201ctwin phantom pain\u201d). A transition toward a \u201cTwin-Centered Therapy\u201d model is proposed, alongside recommendations for systemic policy in the Personnel Directorate (Aka), including \u201cbureaucratic separation\u201d of twin identities as an integral part of the individuation and rehabilitation process of the separate identity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/00302228261426081","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T09:15:45Z","timestamp":1771406145000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["\u201cI Remained Half a Person\u201d: The Phenomenology of Twin Loss Among Combat Soldiers in the Iron Swords War"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-2986-9394","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Oren","family":"Cohen Zada","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Master's Program in Trauma and Complex Trauma Treatment, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, Israel"},{"name":"Talpiot College of Education, Holon, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_3_5_2_1","first-page":"1104","article-title":"A unique bond: Twin bereavement and lifespan associations of identical and fraternal twins","volume":"185","author":"Berg G. J.","year":"2022","unstructured":"Berg G. J., Drepper B. (2022). A unique bond: Twin bereavement and lifespan associations of identical and fraternal twins. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A, 185(3), 1104\u20131131. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/rssa.12789","journal-title":"Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A"},{"issue":"9","key":"e_1_3_5_3_1","first-page":"e45703","article-title":"The intricacies of survivor\u2019s guilt: Exploring its phenomenon across contexts","volume":"15","author":"Bistas K.","year":"2023","unstructured":"Bistas K., Grewal R. (2023). The intricacies of survivor\u2019s guilt: Exploring its phenomenon across contexts. Cureus, 15(9), e45703. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7759\/cureus.45703","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_3_5_4_1","first-page":"72","article-title":"Giving grief words: The power of naming and storytelling","volume":"20","author":"Bowman T.","year":"2017","unstructured":"Bowman T. (2017). Giving grief words: The power of naming and storytelling. Grief Matters: The Australian Journal of Grief and Bereavement, 20(3), 72\u201377.","journal-title":"Grief Matters: The Australian Journal of Grief and Bereavement"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/2159676X.2019.1628806"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-69909-7_3470-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_8_1","volume-title":"Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches","author":"Creswell J. W.","year":"2018","unstructured":"Creswell J. W., Creswell J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications.","edition":"5"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_9_1","volume-title":"Disenfranchised grief: Recognizing hidden sorrow","author":"Doka K. J.","year":"1989","unstructured":"Doka K. J. (1989). Disenfranchised grief: Recognizing hidden sorrow. Lexington Books."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5172\/jfs.4.2.143"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_5_11_1","first-page":"440","article-title":"\u201cCrying in my uniform, for sure\u201d: A qualitative thematic analysis of loss and grief among soldiers after losing a comrade in combat","volume":"85","author":"Einat Y.","year":"2022","unstructured":"Einat Y., Talya E. (2022). \u201cCrying in my uniform, for sure\u201d: A qualitative thematic analysis of loss and grief among soldiers after losing a comrade in combat. Omega-Journal of Death and Dying, 85(2), 440\u2013458. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/00302228221090749","journal-title":"Omega-Journal of Death and Dying"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/19424620.2010.569367"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_13_1","volume-title":"The SAGE encyclopedia of qualitative research methods","author":"Given L. M.","year":"2021","unstructured":"Given L. M. (Ed.), (2021). The SAGE encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. Sage Publications."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.21061\/jvs.v7i1.214"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_15_1","volume-title":"SAGE handbook of qualitative data collection","author":"Johnson R. B.","year":"2021","unstructured":"Johnson R. B., Turner L. A. (2021). Semi-structured interviewing in qualitative research. In SAGE handbook of qualitative data collection. Sage Publications."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_16_1","volume-title":"Continuing bonds: New understandings of grief","author":"Klass D.","year":"1996","unstructured":"Klass D., Silverman P. R., Nickman S. L., (1996). Continuing bonds: New understandings of grief. Taylor & Francis."},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_5_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/07481187.2025.2556111","article-title":"When the mirror breaks: Meaning-making in twin loss","volume":"49","author":"Mahat-Shamir M.","year":"2025","unstructured":"Mahat-Shamir M., Freireich-Eyal H. (2025). When the mirror breaks: Meaning-making in twin loss. Death Studies, 49(1), 1\u201310. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/07481187.2025.2556111","journal-title":"Death Studies"},{"issue":"10","key":"e_1_3_5_18_1","first-page":"875","article-title":"\u201cyou did not desert me my brothers in arms\u201d: The continuing bond experience of men who have lost a brother in arms","volume":"46","author":"Mahat-Shamir M.","year":"2020","unstructured":"Mahat-Shamir M., Lebowitz K., Hamama-Raz Y. (2020). \u201cyou did not desert me my brothers in arms\u201d: The continuing bond experience of men who have lost a brother in arms. Death Studies, 46(10), 875\u2013884. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/07481187.2020.1737275","journal-title":"Death Studies"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_5_19_1","first-page":"290","article-title":"The impact of expressive storytelling on grieving: How narrative writing can help us actively and effectively process and reconcile the loss of a loved one","volume":"51","author":"Mathew L. E.","year":"2023","unstructured":"Mathew L. E. (2023). The impact of expressive storytelling on grieving: How narrative writing can help us actively and effectively process and reconcile the loss of a loved one. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 51(2), 290\u2013301. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/03069885.2023.2195153","journal-title":"British Journal of Guidance and Counselling"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_5_20_1","first-page":"154","article-title":"\u201cYou can never fill the gap that\u2019s left\u201d: Expressions of brotherly loss in the second world war","volume":"8","author":"Maynard L. H.","year":"2015","unstructured":"Maynard L. H. (2015). \u201cYou can never fill the gap that\u2019s left\u201d: Expressions of brotherly loss in the second world war. Journal of War and Culture Studies, 8(2), 154\u2013170. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1179\/1752628014Y.0000000014","journal-title":"Journal of War and Culture Studies"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0265407502192001"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_5_22_1","first-page":"3","article-title":"Qualitative research in adult education: Understanding depth and meaning","volume":"71","author":"Rogers-Shaw C.","year":"2021","unstructured":"Rogers-Shaw C., Carr-Chellman D. J., Choi J. (2021). Qualitative research in adult education: Understanding depth and meaning. Adult Education Quarterly, 71(1), 3\u201312. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0741713620924910","journal-title":"Adult Education Quarterly"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1375\/twin.5.3.175"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_5_24_1","first-page":"87","article-title":"Grief intensity following the loss of a twin and other relatives: Test of kinship genetic hypotheses","volume":"65","author":"Segal N. L.","year":"1993","unstructured":"Segal N. L., Bouchard T. J. (1993). Grief intensity following the loss of a twin and other relatives: Test of kinship genetic hypotheses. Human Biology, 65(1), 87\u2013105.","journal-title":"Human Biology"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_25_1","volume-title":"The untold war: Inside the hearts, minds, and souls of our soldiers","author":"Sherman N.","year":"2014","unstructured":"Sherman N. (2014). The untold war: Inside the hearts, minds, and souls of our soldiers. W. W. Norton & Company."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jnr.24094"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7554\/eLife.56860"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_28_1","article-title":"Loss of a co-twin at birth and subsequent risk of psychiatric disorders","volume":"30","author":"Song H.","year":"2021","unstructured":"Song H., Fang F., Larsson H., Pedersen N. L., Magnusson P. K. E., Almqvist C., Valdimarsd\u00f3ttir U. (2021). Loss of a co-twin at birth and subsequent risk of psychiatric disorders. eLife, 30, e22. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/ELIFE.63514","journal-title":"eLife"},{"issue":"4","key":"e_1_3_5_29_1","first-page":"1146","article-title":"Mortality among twin individuals exposed to loss of a co-twin","volume":"51","author":"Song H.","year":"2022","unstructured":"Song H., Shang Y., Fang F., Almqvist C., Pedersen N. L., Magnusson P. K. E., Larsson H., Valdimarsd\u00f3ttir U. A. (2022). Mortality among twin individuals exposed to loss of a co-twin. International Journal of Epidemiology, 51(4), 1146\u20131155. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ije\/dyac145","journal-title":"International Journal of Epidemiology"},{"issue":"10","key":"e_1_3_5_30_1","first-page":"3460","article-title":"Qualitative interview design: A practical guide for novice investigators","volume":"25","author":"Turner D. W.","year":"2020","unstructured":"Turner D. W. (2020). Qualitative interview design: A practical guide for novice investigators. The Qualitative Report, 25(10), 3460\u20133470. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.46743\/2160-3715\/2010.1173","journal-title":"The Qualitative Report"},{"key":"e_1_3_5_31_1","volume-title":"Surviving loss of a twin in childhood: A case study","author":"Ward S.","year":"2018","unstructured":"Ward S. (2018). Surviving loss of a twin in childhood: A case study. Routledge."},{"key":"e_1_3_5_32_1","volume-title":"The lone twin: A study in bereavement and loss","author":"Woodward J.","year":"1998","unstructured":"Woodward J. (1998). The lone twin: A study in bereavement and loss. Free Association Books."}],"container-title":["OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/00302228261426081","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/00302228261426081","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/00302228261426081","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T08:11:21Z","timestamp":1777623081000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/00302228261426081"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"references-count":31,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/00302228261426081"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/00302228261426081","relation":{},"ISSN":["0030-2228","1541-3764"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0030-2228","type":"print"},{"value":"1541-3764","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"article-number":"00302228261426081"}}