Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Psychological Symptomatology among Palestinian Male and Female Adolescents Living under Political Violence 2004–2005

  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate gender differences in relation to exposure to domestic violence, political violence, family relations and psychological symptomatology in Palestinian adolescents. The sample consisted of 1766 adolescents, males (54.1%) and females (45.9%), residents of West Bank cities subjected to violent political conflict. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire consisting of the following measures: demographic variables, domestic violence, political violence events, the McMaster Family Assessment Device, and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) psychological symptomatology. Results indicated that whereas there was no significant difference in the level of exposure to political violence between boys and girls, female adolescents exhibited higher levels of psychological symptoms compared to their male counterparts. Girls also reported higher levels of exposure to domestic violence and lower levels of family function than boys.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdel-Hamid A., Odd S., Dalgard S.O., Espen B., Grunfeld B.,Hauff E. (2002). The prevalence and associated socio-demographic variables of post-traumatic stress disorder among patients attending primary health care centers in the Gazastrip. Journal of Refugee Studies, 15(3), 283–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Ashhab B. (2005). An update on mental health services in the West Bank. Israel Journal of Psychiatry, 42(2), 81–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Krenawi, A., Lev-Wiesel, R., & Sehwail, M.A. (In press). Psychological symptomatology among Palestinian adolescents livingwith political violence. Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

  • Baker A. M., Shalhoub-Kevorkian N. (1995). Differential effectsof trauma on spouses of traumatized households. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 8(1), 61–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Canetti L., Shalev A., Kaplan-De-Nour A. (1994). Israeli adolescents’ norms of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). IsraelJournal of Psychiatry, 31(1), 13–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook M. (1998). War’s other voices: Women writers on the Lebanese civil war. London: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derogatis L.R., Melisaratos N. (1983). The brief symptominventory: An introductory report. Psychological Medicine, 13(3), 595–605.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Derogatis L., Spencer P. (1982). The Brief Symptom Inventory(BSI): Administration, scoring and procedures, Manual I. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Clinical Psychometrics Research Unit.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derogatis, L. R., Lipman, R. S., Rickels, K., Uhlenhuth, E. H., & Covi, L. (1974). The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL): A self-report symptom inventory. Behavioral-Science, 19 (1), 1–15.

  • Epstein N. B., Baldwin L. M., Bishop D. S. (1983). The McMasterfamily assessment device. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy , 9(2), 171–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farhood L. (1999). War, trauma, and women: Predisposition and vulnerability to adverse psychological health outcomes. In: Shehadeh L. R. (Ed.), Women and war in Lebanon (pp. 259–271). Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gad I. (1990). From salon ladies to popular committees: Women in the uprising. In: Gad I. (Ed.), Readings in contemporary Palestiniansociety, (pp. 75–103). Birzeit, Palestine: Birzeit University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giacaman R., Husseini A., Gordon N., Awartani F. (2004). Imprints on the consciousness: The impact on Palestinians civilians of the Israeli army invasion of West Bank towns. European Journal of Public Health , 14(3), 286–290.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haj S. (1992). Palestinian women and patriarchal relations. Signs, 17(4), 761–778.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karam E. G. (1999). Women and the Lebanon wars: Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In: Shehadeh L.R. (Ed.), Women andwar in Lebanon, (pp. 272–281). Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khamis V. (1998). Psychological distress and well-being amongtraumatized Palestinian women during the Intifada. Social Scienceand Medicine, 46(8), 1033–1041.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, I. W., Epstein, N. B., Bishop, D. S., Keitner, G. I. (1985). The McMaster familyassessment device: Reliability and validity. Journal of Maritaland Family Therapy, 11(4), 345–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nassar J. R. (1989). The nature of the Palestinian Intifada. Journal of Arab Affairs, 8(1), 10–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peteet J. (1997). Icons and militants: Mothering in the danger zone. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 23(1), 103–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridenour T.A., Daley J.G., Reich W. (1999). Factor analyses of the Family Assessment Device. Family Process, 38(4), 497–510.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shalhoub-Kevorkian N. (1998). Crime of war, culture, and children’s rights: The case study of female Palestinian detainees under Israeli military occupation. In: Douglas G., Sebba L. (Eds.), Children’s rights and traditional values, (pp. 228–248). Ashgate/Dartmouth, Brookfield, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shalhoub-Kevorkian N. (2001). Using the dialogue tent to breakmental chains: Listening and being heard. Social Service Review, 75(1), 135–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shalhoub-Kevorkian N. (2003). Liberating voices: The political implications of Palestinian mothers narrating their loss. Women’s Studies International Forum, 26(5), 391–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shalhoub-Kevorkian N. (2004). The hidden casualties of war:Palestinian women and the second Intifada. Indigenous Peoples’ Journal of Law, Culture and Resistance, 1(I), 67–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shehadeh L.R. (1999). Women and war in Lebanon, Gainesville: University Press of Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slonim-Nevo V., Sheraga Y. (1997). Social and psychologicaladjustment of Soviet-born and Israeli-born adolescents: The effect of the family. Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences, 34(2), 128–138.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thabet A. B. M., Vostanis P. (1999). Post-traumatic stress reactions in children of war. Psychiatric Bulletin, 23(5), 385–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thabet A. A. M, Abed Y., Vostanis P. (2004). Comorbidity of PTSD and depression among refugee children during war conflict. Journalof Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(3), 533–542.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. (2003). Two years of Intifada, economic closures, and Palestinian economic crisis. World Wide Web publication. http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/mna/mena.nsf/Attachments/WBGsummary -ENG/$File/WBGsummary-ENG.pdf#search=%22two%20years%20of% 20intifada%22

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spitzer Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Alean Al-Krenawi Ph.D.

  2. School of Social Work, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel

    Rachel Lev-Wiesel Ph.D.

  3. Center for Victims of Torture, El-Ersal St. Al-Isra’a Building, 7th floor, P.O. Box 468, Ramallah, Palestine

    Mahmud A. Sehwail M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Alean Al-Krenawi Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rachel Lev-Wiesel Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mahmud A. Sehwail M.D., Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alean Al-Krenawi Ph.D..

Additional information

Alean Al-Krenawi is affiliated with the Spitzer Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.

Rachel Lev-Wiesel is affiliated with the School of Social Work, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel.

Mahmud A. Sehwail is affiliated with the Center for Victims of Torture, Ramallah, Palestine.

Address correspondence to Alean Al-Krenawi, Ph.D., Spitzer Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel; e-mail: alean@bgu.ac.il

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Al-Krenawi, A., Lev-Wiesel, R. & Sehwail, M.A. Psychological Symptomatology among Palestinian Male and Female Adolescents Living under Political Violence 2004–2005. Community Ment Health J 43, 49–56 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-006-9060-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-006-9060-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation