Authors

Purpose

Sample Size

Design

Main Findings

Thabet, El-Buhaisi and Vostanis (2014)

to investigate types of traumatic events due to war on Gaza experienced by Palestinian adolescents in relation to PTSD and anxiety and coping strategies as mediating factor.

N = 358 adolescents aged 15 to 18 years old age.

Descriptive analytic

The study showed that 11.8% of adolescents reported no PTSD, 24.2% reported less than two clusters of symptoms, and 34.31% reported symptoms meeting criteria for partial PTSD, while 29.8% reported symptoms meeting criteria for full PTSD. Palestinian adolescents mainly cope commonly by developing social support, investing in close friends, and/or engaging in demanding activities. Adolescents with PTSD had coping by ventilating feelings, developing social support, avoiding problems, and Adolescents with less PTSD had looking more for solving his family problems.

Massad, Javier Nieto, Palta, Smith, Clark and Thabet (2009)

Examined the factors associated with resilience and vulnerability in mental health in the Gaza Strip in 2007.

N = 350 Children of kindergartens 3-6 years old, were assessed for growth and their mothers.

A cross-sectional study

Factors associated with resilience were maternal rated good health, higher maternal level of education, and less child exposure to traumatic events. Factors associated with vulnerability were poor maternal mental health, and male gender.

Al-Sheikh and Thabet (2017)

To find the relationship between trauma due to war and post-traumatic stress disorder, social, and family support among adolescent in the Gaza Strip.

N = 400 students (200 boys and 200 girls).

A Cross section study

The study showed that mean traumatic experiences reported was 12.19. Approximately 25% of adolescents reported partial PTSD and 9.3% had full criteria of PTSD. There was positive correlation between total traumatic events and PTSD, intrusion and avoidance.

Thabet, Thabet and Vostanis (2018)

To explore the relationship between trauma due to war, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fears among Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip.

N = 449 children selected randomly from the entire Gaza Strip.

A cross-sectional study

Results showed that 12.4% of children had reported full criteria of post-traumatic stress disorder.

No differences in exposure to trauma according to place of residence or family monthly income. There was positive relationship between exposure to traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder and fears. Also, fears were associated with total post- traumatic stress disorder and all subscales.

Thabet, Tawahina, Punamäki and Vostanis (2015)

To find the relationship between war traumatic experiences due to war on Gaza, PTSD, and traumatic grief in Palestinian children.

N = 374 children aged 6-16 years

Cross-sectional study

For PTSD, 1.3% of children showed no PTSD, 7.2% reported mild PTSD reactions, 29.9% showed moderate PTSD reactions, and 61.5% showed severe to very severe PTSD reactions. Trauma exposure was significantly associated with PTSD.

Murad and Abdel (2017)

To determine the relationship between traumatic experience posttraumatic stress disorder, resilience, and posttraumatic growth among adolescents in Gaza Strip.

N = 400 secondary school students (200 males and 200 females).

Cross-sectional study

The results showed that 24% adolescents had partial PTSD, and 10.5% had full criteria of PTSD. The results also showed that adolescents had above moderate level of resilience with mean score 80.48.

Abdel Aziz and Vostanis (2017)

To determine the effect of shelling and other traumatic events on mental health of parents and children.

N = 200 parents and 200 children age 9 - 18 years who were assessed by self-completed questionnaire.

Cross-sectional study

The results estimated mean traumatic experiences for parents were 8.42, prevalence of PTSD in parents was 60%; anxiety disorder 26.5%. For children, mean traumatic events were 7.88; prevalence of PTSD in children was 70.1%.

There was correlation between trauma of children and PTSD of children, intrusion, avoidance, and arousal. Parents PTSD were associated with their children PTSD. PTSD of children was significantly associated with total traumatic events of parents, anxiety of parents, of PTSD of parents, intrusion symptoms of parents, avoidance, and arousal symptoms.