Psychological impacts of the Gaza war on Palestinian young adults: a cross-sectional study of depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD symptoms
Abstract
The Gaza Strip has been embroiled in a violent military assault since October 2023, with an immense toll on the civilian population. Armed conflicts threaten the mental health of affected communities and survivors, and psychiatric morbidity increases with forced displacement and with severe and recurrent trauma. This study investigates the prevalence and predisposing factors of depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD symptoms in a group of young adult students from the Gaza Strip during the war. A cross-sectional, internet-based survey recruited medical students from the Gaza Strip and used the DASS21, SWLS, and PCL-5 instruments. PTSD diagnosis required having a PCL-5 score ≥ 23 and fulfilling the DSM-5 criteria. Rates of depression, anxiety, stress, and life satisfaction were compared with a previous dataset collected in 2022. Finally, logistic regression models were fitted using R software to identify factors significantly associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD. Three hundred thirty-nine medical students participated. Most had been displaced several times, and the great majority had lost a relative, colleague, or friend. Also, a majority had lost their homes and income. 97.05% of participants suffered mild depressive symptoms or higher, while 84.37% and 90.56% reported mild anxiety and mild stress symptoms or higher, respectively. High levels of life dissatisfaction were also found, and 63.40% suffered from PTSD. Symptoms were significantly more prevalent…
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