Mental health under occupation: an analysis of the de-politicization of the mental health discourse in Palestine and a call for a human rights approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Helbich ◽  
Samah Jabr
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Human Rights Violations ◽  
Social Suffering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
Health Discourse ◽  
Israeli Occupation

Purpose This study aims to look at the effects of the Israeli occupation on the mental health of Palestinians and examine the link between political oppression and the occurrence of mental health disorders. It argues that, as human rights violations in Palestine are connected to psychological distress, the root causes of social suffering need to be considered in order not to pathologize Palestinians. The purpose of this paper lies in connecting the mental health discourse with a human rights approach to better understand this connection within the context of political violence. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents the viewpoint and perspectives of the authors on significant mental health issues in Palestine. The methodology is based on a literature review of the de-politicization of the mental health discourse and on the theoretical framework of a human rights approach. At the base of this discourse lies the demand for social justice and professional solidarity. Findings The study highlights that to truly understand social suffering in Palestine, it needs to be related to the prevalence of human rights violations, which in turn have a conceivable impact on the mental health well-being of individuals. It advocates for a shift from a de-contextualized, de-politicized and individualistic approach to mental health to acknowledging the importance of the social and political context in which trauma develops. It further illustrates how the adaptation of a human rights approach can strengthen demands of social justice and oppose the victimization of Palestinians. Originality/value The value of the works lies in putting the prevalence of mental health disorders in Palestine in relation to human rights violations as a consequence of the ongoing Israeli occupation and in highlighting the role that international organizations play in the de-politicization of the mental health discourse.

scholarly journals Analysis of the mental health response to COVID-19 and human rights concerns in the occupied Palestinian territories

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Helbich ◽  
Samah Jabr
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
The Political ◽  
Human Rights Violations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Israeli Occupation

Purpose The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has devastating effects around the world, influencing daily life and putting communities into unprecedented situations of anxiety, hardship and loss. It has a particularly severe effect on the mental health of individuals and highlights pre-existing challenges in mental health provision in different countries. The purpose of this paper is to examine the mental health response to COVID-19 in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) in relation to mental health concerns and the political situation. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzes the double struggle of Palestinians not only dealing with COVID-19 but with the ongoing Israeli occupation and human rights violations and focuses on the challenges in providing mental health services due to existing inequalities, systemic discrimination and lack of resources as a result of the political system of oppression. The findings are based on previously published articles concerning mental health related to the COVID-19 outbreak in other countries, as well as the authors’ clinical experience in the oPt and direct involvement in providing mental health services. Findings The paper highlights how the current pandemic is being used to further attempts of annexation and political gains in Israel and how it exacerbated human rights violations due to the occupation. Emphasis is also put on the challenges in providing a Palestinian mental health response due to the high number of actors involved and the lack of preparedness at the level of mental health response provision. Originality/value The value of the works lies in putting the current pandemic in relation to human rights violations in the oPt due to the ongoing Israeli occupation and in highlighting how a mental health response to COVID-19 can be implemented during a state of emergency and despite a lack of preparedness in response services in the oPt.

Comorbid mental health disorders in children and young people with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ereny Gobrial
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Young People ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Purpose Children and young people with comorbid intellectual disabilities (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are more likely to exhibit comorbid mental health disorders (MHD) and other significant behaviours (SB) in addition to the core symptoms of ASD. The purpose of this paper is to identify the prevalence of comorbid MHD and behaviours in children and young people with ID and ASD in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach The Reiss scale for children’s dual diagnosis was administered by parents and teachers of 222 Egyptian children and young people with mild/moderate ID and ASD to screen for MHD and SB. The mean age of children and young people was 12.3 years (SD = 3.64), with 75.6 per cent male. Findings The results revealed that 62.2 per cent of children and young people with ID and ASD had high rates of comorbid MHD and behaviour disorders were shown in 64.4 per cent of the participated children and young people. The results identified anger, anxiety and psychosis being the most frequently diagnosed disorders while crying spells and pica were the most SB. No differences were found between the male and female with ID and ASD in the current study. Research limitations/implications Mental health assessment of children and young people with ID and ASD will help to highlight the needs of these vulnerable children and develop the appropriate services. Originality/value The findings highlight the prevalence of MHD in children and young people with ID and ASD in Egypt. This has implications on the assessment of comorbid disorders and services needed for children with ID and ASD in Egypt.

Child and adolescent psychopathology: resources for clinicians, researchers, educators, and parents

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Michele Frasier-Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Adolescent Psychopathology ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Child And Adolescent Psychopathology ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Health Disorders

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an annotated bibliography of books and journal titles to assist researchers, clinicians, educators and parents in need of information on child and adolescent psychopathology. Design/methodology/approach Resources that include a wide range child and adolescent mental disorders were selected. Criteria for book selection was based on those that include evidence-based therapies. Journal titles were selected based on impact factor according to Journal Citation Reports. Findings The scholarship on child and adolescent psychopathology is immense. After a review of the literature, 15 books and eight journal titles that reflect the diverse nature of child and adolescent mental health disorders are included. Originality/value This is an original bibliography that will be helpful to librarians assisting patrons with information needs about child and adolescent mental health disorders.

Quality of life and human rights conditions in a public psychiatric hospital in Cairo

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Elnemais Fawzy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Residential Facilities ◽  
Human Rights Violations ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Health Law ◽  
Mental Health Law ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – There is no documented evidence on service users’ perceptions of quality of care and observance of human rights in mental health residential facilities in Egypt after the new mental health law passed in 2009. The purpose of this paper is to investigate El-Abbassia Mental Health Hospital in Cairo. Special attention is paid as to the variety of human rights violations which are experienced by the users and the context in which these violations occur. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study was performed relying on 36 depth interviews with patients, 58 staff members and 15 family members, reviews of documents and observations by an independent assessment team consisting of the author, another psychiatrist, a nurse and a family member using the World Health Organization Quality Rights Tool Kit which uses the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as its framework. Findings – The study reported empirical insights into how the steps taken by the hospital to address several of the themes drawn from the CRPD require either improvement or initiation to comply fully with the convention’s themes. Research limitations/implications – Respondents may have failed to disclose their true experiences due to fear of punishment. Practical implications – Users admitted to mental hospitals have often been forgotten, thus becoming victims of violence, neglect and other human rights violations. Social implications – An opportunity to promote public awareness of the rights of patients. Originality/value – The importance of this study came from being the first documented evidence on service users’ perceptions of quality of care and observance of human rights in mental health residential facilities in Egypt after the new mental health law passed in 2009.

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