The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #38938

Rita H. Giacaman, PharmD, MPhil, Abdullatif Husseini, PhD, and Reem Musleh, MSc. Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Box 14, Birzeit University, Birzeit/West Bank, Palestine, 972-2298-2980, rita@birzeit.edu

On September the 28th, 2000, a new wave of clashes erupted between the Israeli army and Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Severe confrontations led to thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths, affecting mostly young adults, largely males. Increasingly severe siege conditions resulted in unprecedented economic and social hardships, very high levels of unemployment, the disruption of daily life in almost every way, leading to the exacerbation of already pre-existing and chronic stressful life conditions that have been ongoing for at least 30 years. This presentation pertaining to symptoms of pscyhological distress and their causes as perceived by youth is based on a survey of 1600 undergraduate students enrolled at Birzeit University. It outlines the main somatic and behavioral indicators of distress and links those to structural causes, including exposure to violence, to the death of loved ones, to injury by the army as well as spiralling poverty and inability to live a normal daily life, including accessing the University, because of siege conditions. It summarizes the views of youth in relation to the root causes of their problems as well as their perceptions of how the conditions of today modify and sometimes obliterate their hopes for their future. Finally, the presentation highlights the need for the modification of the paradigm of youth mental health in ways that could serve the purpose of more appropriate policy making than what seems to exist today in the area.

Learning Objectives:

• to introduce the audience to the life conditions of Palestinian youth in exceptional circumstance by focusing of indicators of psychological distress.
• to ilucidate the link between exceptional circumstances, ongoing protracted situation of conflict, life events and mental health problems among these youth.
• to work towards bringing the audience to a better understanding of the impact of war and chronic stressful conditions on youth attitudes, life views, aspirations and hopes for the future.

Keywords: Mental Health, Youth

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University research upon which the presentation is based.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.