War, Torture and Trauma in Preadolescents from Gaza Strip. Two Different Modalities of PTSD

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of past traumatic war experiences on preadolescents in the Gaza Strip, which could be useful for psychological intervention with current and future child victims. Participants were 521 preadolescents from United Nations Relief and Works Agency fo...

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Main Authors: Antonio L. Manzanero, Javier Aroztegui, Juan Fernández, Marta Guarch-Rubio, Miguel Ángel Álvarez, Sofián El-Astal, Fairouz Hemaid
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2024-02-01
Series:Anuario de Psicología Jurídica
Subjects:
Online Access: https://journals.copmadrid.org/apj/art/apj2024a6
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author Antonio L. Manzanero
Javier Aroztegui
Juan Fernández
Marta Guarch-Rubio
Miguel Ángel Álvarez
Sofián El-Astal
Fairouz Hemaid
author_facet Antonio L. Manzanero
Javier Aroztegui
Juan Fernández
Marta Guarch-Rubio
Miguel Ángel Álvarez
Sofián El-Astal
Fairouz Hemaid
author_sort Antonio L. Manzanero
collection DOAJ
description The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of past traumatic war experiences on preadolescents in the Gaza Strip, which could be useful for psychological intervention with current and future child victims. Participants were 521 preadolescents from United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) schools, aged 11 and 13 years old. Sections I to IV from Iraqi Version-Arabic of Harvard Trauma Questionnaire was used to assess trauma experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results show that the preadolescents in the Gaza Strip witnessed the destruction of their homes and the murder of family members and friends. A quarter of the individuals assessed either suffered torture or witnessed others undergoing it, including sexual assaults. Almost half of them experienced a lack of food and clean water. The traumatic and torture experiences seriously affected preadolescents’ mental health as 26.29% met criteria for the diagnosis of PTSD. The data analysis revealed two PTSD modalities, with the severity of impact depending on whether social implications were involved. Further research is required to check whether these two modalities fit to PTSD and complex PTSD. Understanding the effects of past wars on preadolescents in Gaza and distinguishing between different PTSD types could enhance comprehension of the impacts of current attacks on child victims. It can also aid in determining the type of intervention needed to minimize the impact on the mental health of Palestinian youth, enhancing their resilience through psychological and social support.
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spelling doaj.art-7bfe26f3b1d344be802d6036d5dbbcba2024-02-16T09:28:08ZengColegio Oficial de Psicólogos de MadridAnuario de Psicología Jurídica1133-07402174-05422024-02-0134111210.5093/apj2024a611320559War, Torture and Trauma in Preadolescents from Gaza Strip. Two Different Modalities of PTSDAntonio L. Manzanero0Javier Aroztegui1Juan Fernández2Marta Guarch-Rubio3Miguel Ángel Álvarez4Sofián El-Astal5Fairouz Hemaid6Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid , Spain, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain;Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid , Spain, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain;Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid , Spain, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain;Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid , Spain, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain;Universidad de La Habana, Cuba, Universidad de La Habana, Cuba;University of Al-Azhar Gaza, Palestine, University of Al-Azhar Gaza, Palestine;UNRWA, Palestine, UNRWA, PalestineThe aim of the present study was to assess the impact of past traumatic war experiences on preadolescents in the Gaza Strip, which could be useful for psychological intervention with current and future child victims. Participants were 521 preadolescents from United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) schools, aged 11 and 13 years old. Sections I to IV from Iraqi Version-Arabic of Harvard Trauma Questionnaire was used to assess trauma experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The results show that the preadolescents in the Gaza Strip witnessed the destruction of their homes and the murder of family members and friends. A quarter of the individuals assessed either suffered torture or witnessed others undergoing it, including sexual assaults. Almost half of them experienced a lack of food and clean water. The traumatic and torture experiences seriously affected preadolescents’ mental health as 26.29% met criteria for the diagnosis of PTSD. The data analysis revealed two PTSD modalities, with the severity of impact depending on whether social implications were involved. Further research is required to check whether these two modalities fit to PTSD and complex PTSD. Understanding the effects of past wars on preadolescents in Gaza and distinguishing between different PTSD types could enhance comprehension of the impacts of current attacks on child victims. It can also aid in determining the type of intervention needed to minimize the impact on the mental health of Palestinian youth, enhancing their resilience through psychological and social support. https://journals.copmadrid.org/apj/art/apj2024a6 war victimpsychological traumachildrenpost-traumatic stress disordersocial support
spellingShingle Antonio L. Manzanero
Javier Aroztegui
Juan Fernández
Marta Guarch-Rubio
Miguel Ángel Álvarez
Sofián El-Astal
Fairouz Hemaid
War, Torture and Trauma in Preadolescents from Gaza Strip. Two Different Modalities of PTSD
Anuario de Psicología Jurídica
war victim
psychological trauma
children
post-traumatic stress disorder
social support
title War, Torture and Trauma in Preadolescents from Gaza Strip. Two Different Modalities of PTSD
title_full War, Torture and Trauma in Preadolescents from Gaza Strip. Two Different Modalities of PTSD
title_fullStr War, Torture and Trauma in Preadolescents from Gaza Strip. Two Different Modalities of PTSD
title_full_unstemmed War, Torture and Trauma in Preadolescents from Gaza Strip. Two Different Modalities of PTSD
title_short War, Torture and Trauma in Preadolescents from Gaza Strip. Two Different Modalities of PTSD
title_sort war torture and trauma in preadolescents from gaza strip two different modalities of ptsd
topic war victim
psychological trauma
children
post-traumatic stress disorder
social support
url https://journals.copmadrid.org/apj/art/apj2024a6
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