Arjonilla S, Parada IM, Pelcastre B

Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 35-40
PDF size: 149.75 Kb.

ABSTRACT

SummaryThe history of Palestine has been marked by political conflicts and its fight against Israel, which have generated a state of low intensive war. This has lasted enough time to affect the mental health of its population, who have been forced to migrate and have been exposed to different forms of open violence. The situation of women is outstanding because they used to live under a patriarchal society. The socio-political and anthropological research on this subject was carried out between 1994-1997.

ObjectivesTo demonstrate the usefulness of qualitative research methodsbased in the community for the detection of social problems,and for determinig the consequences of the war on the people’smental health.

Material and methodsThe main components of the study were: an analysis of thedata provided by secondary sources, together with anapproximation to the mental health problems, in general, andto those of the women of Gaza, in particular. They were basedon semi-structured interviews and participant observation in rural zones, refugee camps and in the city of Gaza. Eighty two interviews were made.

ResultsIt was found that a philosophy of hate against the enemyprevailed among the population, and that Gazan women are the main receptors of the conflicts of all the members of their family. Through the interviews, problems of women’s adaptation to the new socio-political situation resulting from the cultural contradiction they sufer were discovered. Mental health was selected as a priority area within the health field. Some other problems were pointed out such as the adaptation problems of exprisioners who suffered torture or of thas who were moved to other places; the challenge of teenegers to authority since their participation in the Intifada, and the war games played by children.

Discussion and conclusion Qualitative methods based in the community may detect problems that no other types of approach would detect. The reason is that they include the op en expression of the population, who reconstructs the situation from their experience, giving priority to their main problems and participating in their solution. From the first results of the research, the Spanish foreign policy of cooperation varied in the Palestinian case, including mental health within its priorities. Whit this methodology new forms of health education were implemented, and mental health treatment to Gaza women was given as part of the actions of the Women’s Empowerment Project (WEP).