Providing Emotional Support to Children in War Zones: Gaza and the West Bank (2024-2025)
This team examined how to provide mental health coping support for children in Palestinian Territories, focusing on the challenges of conflict and trauma. Drawing on expertise in international geopolitics, family-based interventions and global mental health, the team sought to assess the current landscape of child and family mental health programs in Gaza and the West Bank, identify effective trauma-informed approaches, and build a collaborative network of experts aligned with the Duke Center for Global Mental Health. The long-term aim is to design a pilot initiative that could eventually be adapted for other regions in the Middle East, including Yemen and Syria.
The team completed a PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal) analysis and landscape mapping for both Gaza and the West Bank, offering a detailed view of the political, social and environmental pressures that shape mental health interventions. They are now conducting a CFIR (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research) analysis to better understand the implementation environment and refine potential strategies. These findings will be synthesized into manuscripts on mental health and psychosocial support, with the goal of creating a framework that informs both policy and practice in conflict-affected regions. The work lays important groundwork for scaling family-centered trauma support across the Middle East.
Timing
Fall 2024 – Summer 2025
Team Outputs
Exploring the Implementation Landscape of Mental Health Interventions for Children in Palestine (Poster presentation at the Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase, April 16, 2025)
MHPSS (Mental Health and Psychosocial Support) manuscript in progress