From sumud to intifada: Supporting non-violent action to enhance mental health

Background

The siege of Gaza provides a challenge for mental health workers across the world in terms of how to respond to the forces that create the mental health problems caused by it. Inside Gaza, there are responses to the siege that have therapeutic purposes and outcomes. These need to be understood.They also set up the issue of active solidarity.

Aims

To provide a background to the mental health crisis in Gaza and to examine some of the psychosocial methods being used to help alleviate symptoms of PTSD.

Materials and Methods

This is a survey of methods used by Palestine Trauma Centre in Gaza between 2011 and 2018.

Results

Statistics are contained not in this report but in the referenced report by Dr Mohamed Altawil.

Discussion

The article discusses the importance of action or activity in the therapeutic process and how actions directed at changing environmental circumstances can enhance personal wellbeing.

Conclusion

It is to be hoped that mental health workers outside Gaza can find some way of showing solidarity with those trying to be resilient under siege and actively support mental health workers inside Gaza.