Exposure to violence and its relationship to mental health among young people in Palestine

BACKGROUND: Exposure to violence is a significant risk factor for the development of psychopathology in young people. Research on the mental health consequences of violence exposure in youth has focused mostly on post-traumatic stress disorder, however, the association with depression and anxiety has also been established. As a result of the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict, young Palestinians are vulnerable to exposure to various types of violence. AIMS: We examined psychiatric symptomatology and its relationship to direct and indirect forms of violence exposure. METHODS: A representative household survey of 2481 Palestinian youth was conducted in 2014. Self-report measures included psychiatric symptomatology (global distress, depression, anxiety) and violence exposure (personal victimization, witnessed, vicariously heard about). RESULTS: The proportion of elevated symptoms of global distress (46%), depression (55%), and (37%) anxiety was high; 47% had been a personal victim, 71% had witnessed violence, and 69% had heard about violence experienced by someone close to them. In logistic regression analysis, controlling for other bivariate correlates, exposure to any violence event, as well as any of the 3 types of violence exposure, were independently associated with each of the 3 measures of elevated psychiatric symptomatology. Females were 4 times more likely to report elevated psychopathology, despite being less likely to experience each type of violence. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the need for services that cater to the mental health needs of youth in settings of high violence exposure, and that gender-specific strategies may be useful.