Community Work in the Ongoing Crisis Context of Gaza: Integrating a Public Health and Human Rights Approach

Abstract

Moving from socio-ecological perspectives, our work aims to explore and analyse the synergy of public health and human rights-informed frameworks in the provision of mental health services in The Gaza Strip, a context characterised by war, trauma, and human rights violations over the past several decades. We discuss issues related to human rights violations and link these to the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention in public mental health. Two case studies about families affected by war and violence in 2009 will be analysed to highlight how human rights issues are deeply embedded in interventions aimed at promoting functioning and subjective wellbeing in individuals and families living in conditions of chronic uncertainty. Working with families affected by ongoing political violence requires constant attention to human rights, which goes beyond psychotherapeutic and psychobiological interventions. Mental health services help communities living under occupation by developing resilience and survival skills throughout participative approaches. Directions for clinical work and research are discussed.