Psychological Stress and Psychological Well-Being Among Governmental Nurses in the Southern West Bank During the Gaza–Israel War: The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies

Introduction Nurses working in conflict-affected healthcare systems are exposed to persistent occupational and psychological stressors that may adversely influence their psychological well-being. Evidence examining the interplay between stress, coping strategies, and well-being among nurses in the Palestinian context during wartime remains limited. Aim This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychological stress and psychological well-being among governmental nurses in the southern West Bank during the Gaza–Israel war and to assess the mediating role of coping strategies. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among 337 governmental nurses recruited from five hospitals in the southern West Bank between August and November 2024. Data were collected using validated Arabic versions of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, and the Psychological Well-Being Scale. Descriptive statistics, inferential tests, and regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 27. Mediation analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro with 5,000 bootstrap samples. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. Results Participants reported moderate levels of psychological stress (M = 3.22, SD = 0.53) and moderate to high levels of psychological well-being (M = 3.53, SD = 0.60). Coping strategies were moderately utilized (M = 2.62, SD = 0.48). Psychological stress was significantly associated with lower psychological well-being (β = −0.454, p < .001), explaining 17.0% of the variance. Coping strategies demonstrated a modest association with well-being (R 2 = .041, p = .008), with thoughtful problem-solving showing a negative relationship. Mediation analysis indicated that coping strategies did not significantly mediate the stress–well-being relationship. Conclusion Psychological stress was significantly associated with reduced psychological well-being among nurses working in conflict conditions, while coping strategies demonstrated limited mediating effects. Strengthening institutional psychological support and context-appropriate coping interventions is essential to sustain nurses’ mental health in conflict-affected healthcare systems.