Impact of Trauma on Palestinian Childrens and the Role of Coping Strategies
Impact of Trauma on Palestinian Childrens and the Role of Coping Strategies
Date
2014-09-13
Authors
Thabet, Abdel Aziz Mousa
Vostanis, Panos
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ScienceDomain
Abstract
Aims: To investigate the impact of war trauma On child mental health; the mediating role of
different coping strategies.
Methods: The sample was selected randomly from the five localities of the Gaza Strip that had
been exposed to war16 months earlier. Children completed the Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist-
20 items-War on Gaza, UCLA PTSD scale, Birleson Depression Scale, Child Revised Manifest
Anxiety Scale, and Kidcope for children.
Results: Children reported many traumatic events (mean = 4). One third (32.5%) had partial and
12.4% had full criteria of PTSD. Children living in families with low family monthly income reported
more emotional problems. There was significant association between exposure to traumatic events
and developing PTSD. The rates of significant anxiety and depressive symptoms were 20.5% and 22.3% respectively.
Girls reported significantly more depressive symptoms than boys. Children commonly used the
following coping strategies: wishful thinking, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and distraction.
Trauma was negatively correlated with social support and wishful thinking, and positively correlated
with self-criticism. Lack of social support and wishful thinking predicted all three types of mental
health problems, while social withdrawal specifically predicted depression.
Conclusions: Trauma can have long-standing impact on children’s mental health. Communitybased
intervention programmes could enhance children’s resilience. Parents, teachers, universal
and specialist mental health practitioners have essential roles in the development and delivery of
such programmes.
Description
We are grateful to all the Palestinian families in
the Gaza Strip for their involvement. Also, to the
data collectors for their valuable input.
Keywords
War, Gaza, children, PTSD, depression, anxiety, coping