Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Health Care Providers Following the Israeli Attacks Against Gaza Strip in 2014: A Call for Immediate Policy Actions (original) (raw)
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Psychiatry Research, 2011
Studies of mental health among hospital personnel during armed conflict are scarce and usually include single time point investigations without a comparison group. The authors compared the psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial functioning of exposed and unexposed hospital personnel at two time points. The research was conducted during 2009 and included a survey of two random samples of hospital personnel (physicians and nurses), one collected during the Gaza War and the other 6 months later. Each sample included hospital personnel who were exposed to war-related stress and others who were not (Study 1: n = 67 and 74 for exposed and unexposed, respectively; Study 2: n = 57 and 50 for exposed and unexposed, respectively). Levels of psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial functioning were measured. Compared to unexposed hospital personnel, exposed hospital personnel had a significantly higher level of post-traumatic symptoms during the Gaza War and 6 months later. In addition, during the Gaza War, exposed hospital personnel had a significantly higher level of depressive symptoms. However, in the second study, depressive symptoms were similar to those found in the unexposed group. These findings may suggest that war-related stress is associated with post-traumatic symptoms among hospital personnel even 6 months after exposure.
Echoes of conflict: the enduring mental health struggle of Gaza’s healthcare workers
Conflict and health, 2024
exposure to trauma, coupled with the pressure of providing care under extreme conditions, places an immense burden on their mental well-being, making their situation in these conflict zones both critical and often overlooked. HCWs in conflict zones are accustomed to working under extreme pressure. However, the current situation in Gaza has pushed these limits. HCWs are working relentlessly, often for many days without a break. The sheer volume of casualties and the severity of injuries in this conflict have surpassed any previous war, setting the stage for a heightened risk of mental health issues, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [3, 4]. The adverse mental health impacts of war on HCWs can
What is known on the subject? • This study builds on existing research on war-related factors that may affect health-care staff by particularly focusing on trauma exposure in both professional and everyday life, as well as on correlates of later positive psychological changes. What this paper adds to existing knowledge? • It shows that one in five nursing staff working in Gaza experienced post-traumatic stress symptoms within the clinical range, 2 years after an incursion on Gaza and after being exposed to substantial trauma during this period. • Participants appeared to develop a variety of post-traumatic growth responses following trauma exposure. • Although nurses experienced traumatic events both as civilians and in their health-care capacity, personal exposure was strongly associated with PTSD symptoms. What are the implications for practice? • Support to nursing and other health-care professionals in war situations should entail different levels, remain available well after an acute conflict, and take into consideration both personal and practice-related traumatic events. Mental health nursing practitioners can play a pivotal role in this. Abstract Aim: To establish the association between war traumatic experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and post-traumatic growth among nurses in the Gaza Strip, 2 years after an incursion on Gaza, and during a period of ongoing trauma exposure. This study builds on existing evidence by considering exposure to personal and work-related traumatic events, and on factors associated with later positive psychological adaptation. Methods: The sample consisted of 274 randomly selected nurses in Gaza who completed the Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist, PTSD Checklist, and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Results: Of the nurses, 19.7% reported full PTSD. There was a significant relationship between traumatic events and PTSD scores; as well as between community-related traumatic events and post-traumatic growth. Participants reported a range of traumatic events, but PTSD and post-traumatic growth scores were more strongly associated with community rather than work-related traumas. Discussion: Nursing professionals experienced high levels of distress 2 years following an acute period of conflict, both as civilians and in their health-care capacity. Implications for Practice: There is need for different levels of support for health-care staff in war-affected areas. Mental health nursing professionals have a central role in training, counselling and support to other health-care colleagues. 749
European journal of psychotraumatology, 2012
Two studies examined peritraumatic symptoms due to war-related stress among hospital personnel with different affect types. In Study 1, we examined 80 Israeli hospital personnel during the period they were exposed to frequent missile attacks in the Second Lebanon War. In Study 2, we examined 67 and 74 Israeli hospital personnel during the time they were exposed and were not exposed, respectively, to missile attacks in the Gaza "Cast Lead" operation. In both studies, hospital personnel completed measures of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms as well as of positive- and negative-affect items (PA and NA, respectively). Exposed personnel with a positive congruent (high PA and low NA) or a deflated incongruent (low PA and low NA) affective types had a lower level of peritraumatic symptoms compared to those with a negative congruent (low PA and high NA) or an inflated incongruent (high PA and NA) affective types. Study 2 further showed that among non-exposed personnel, only ...
The burden of war-injury in the Palestinian health care sector in Gaza Strip
BMC International Health and Human Rights
Background: War-related injury is a major public health concern, and a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and disability globally, particularly in low and middle-income countries such as Palestine. Little is known about the burden of war-related injury in the Palestinian context. The objective of this study was to characterize the incidence and pattern of injuries, associated with war in Gaza Strip, from July 8 to August 26, 2014. Methods: This was a descriptive study based on an injury registry at hospital facilities in the Gaza Strip. A total of 420 victims records from 2014 Gaza war injuries were randomly selected, proportionate to the size of the study population estimated across five Gaza governorates. Simple descriptive statistics were calculated to explore the frequency and percentage distribution of study variables and injury data. A chi-square test (X 2) was used. The significance level was derived at p < 0.05. The data were analyzed by IBM SPSS software, version 23. Results: Males (75.5%) have experienced more war-related injuries than females (24.5%), constituting a male: female ratio of 3.1:1. Almost half (49.5%) of the injured victims were of the age group 20-39, followed by children and adolescents (< 20 years), accounting for 31.4%. More than half of victims were single (53.6%), 44.3% were married and the rest were widowed or divorced. The overall number of injuries was 6.4 per 1000 population, though it varied among regions. North Gaza reported the highest number of injuries (9.0) and Rafah the lowest (4.7) per 1000 population. Blast and explosion were found to be the most common causes of war injuries (72.9%). The highest proportion of injuries were reported in the upper body. Multiple body shrapnel wounds and burns (39.3%) were most frequent. Other types of injuries were multiple organ injury (24.3%), fractures (13.6%), internal organ injury and bleeding (9.8%), amputation (4.5%), abrasions /lacerations and contusions (4.8%), vision or hearing loss or both (1.9%) and respiratory problems (1.9%). The highest percentage of injuries were classified as mild (46.9%), and the rest ranged from moderate-to-severe. Almost 26% of individuals had sustained disability, and most of them had physical/motor impairment. Conclusion: War-related injuries constitute a major problem to public health discipline and clinical medicine as well. A better surveillance system using ICD codes, and development of a comprehensive electronic data network are necessary to make future research easier and more timely.
Impact of war stress on posttraumatic stress symptoms in hospital personnel
General Hospital Psychiatry, 2007
Objective: This study examines the relationship between exposure to war stress and posttraumatic symptoms among nurses and physicians in a general hospital targeted by missiles. Method: Hospital staff who were exposed to missile attacks and casualties of war, both military and civilians (n = 80), were assessed for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms a month after the war between Lebanon and Israel erupted (during the last days of the war). Results: High levels of PTSD symptoms were found in 10.5% of physicians and 35.7% of nurses. Logistic regression analysis showed that nurses had an increased risk for PTSD in comparison to physicians (odds ratio = 5.28). Conclusion: These findings show that nurses suffered from more severe posttraumatic symptoms compared to physicians after exposure to prolonged war stress. The gap between physicians and nurses warrants further study. D