Abstract
In this short article, I consider questions of dissociation and trauma for populations facing severe adverse situations within warzones, focussing on Israel-Palestine. As Psychoanalytic Psychotherapists interested in global mental health, attention to the human conditions and safety needed for clinical interventions in war-torn and occupied regions is paramount. Consideration of the cultural lens through which we view psychological distress, will help us to respond constructively and sensitively to the mental health needs of all those directly affected by the conflict. This article focusses on the realities for Palestinian clinicians working to support mental health in Gaza, who speak to the importance of understanding the political and social situation that gives rise to suffering in Palestine and the need for a culturally informed response to the mass psychological suffering of Palestinian communities. Such a widening of our understanding as a discipline will help us to respond constructively and sensitively to the mental health needs of all peoples affected. We may also be encouraged to assume a more active humanitarian stance in supporting the cessation of killing by calling for an immediate ceasefire to enable all communities to exist and to thrive.
Published Version
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