Abstract
BackgroundResidents of the Gaza Strip live under severe and chronic conditions of strict siege. Many studies have reported that the residents experience physical and psychological insecurity, and that this is linked to frequent military attacks, lack of jobs, failing economic situations, and lack of hope for a better life. This study aimed to investigate the effects of such factors on the well-being of young people aged 18–24 years old. MethodsA descriptive study was carried out in October, 2017, using semi-structured interviews on a convenience and purposive sample of 600 male and female university students from the four main Palestinian universities in the Gaza Strip. Our research tools were the WHO Five Well-being Index (WHO-5), the Symptom-Checklist-27 (SCL-27), and the Gaza Stressful Situations Checklist. Ethics approval was obtained from the Helsinki Committee at the Ministry of Health. Informed verbal consents were obtained from participants prior to data collection. FindingsOf 600 students interviewed, 71·5% (429) completed all questions and were included in our analysis. The majority of our sample (90·2%; 540) were single and 54·0% (324) were female. In response to our questions, 83·0% (498) agreed with the statement that they had been negatively affected by the lack of electricity, and 67·0% felt that they were living in a big prison and are unable to travel for study abroad. In addition, 30·0% of participants (180) rated their quality of life as poor or very poor. More than 65·0% of students (390) did not have sufficient money to sustain their daily expenses, and 87·2% (522) had limited opportunities to enjoy leisure activities or daily life. Two-thirds of participants (450) felt sad, and 60·0% (360) felt hopeless about their future. Furthermore, based on a five-point Likert scale (never, seldom, sometimes, often, almost always), more than a third of our sample (35%; 210) reported that they had experienced suicidal thoughts sometimes or often. InterpretationThe majority of university students in Gaza feel imprisoned, unhappy, unsatisfied with their lives, hopeless, and powerless. This disturbing picture should alert political leaders, decision makers, and mental health specialists to study these phenomena more intensively. If these issues are not urgently addressed and resolved, they might lead to more serious mental and psychosocial consequences in the future that can negatively affect the national fabric in Gaza. FundingNone.
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