Life under occupation: citizenship and other factors influencing the well-being of university students living in the West Bank

Abstract

There is substantial evidence that individuals affected by conflict suffer poor physical and mental outcomes, particularly in indicators of well-being. This study assesses the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), perceived stress and insecurity of Palestinian young adults in the West Bank. We surveyed 398 university students from Nablus (mean age = 20.1) using the SF-36 to measure HRQoL, the PSS-4 to assess stress and a context-specific insecurity instrument. A third of participants reported Israeli citizenship, and the results indicated better outcomes in these individuals in several outcomes, with the noteworthy exception of insecurity. This study is one of the first to assess citizenship of West Bank Palestinians as a potential covariate to predict measures of well-being. Because citizenship is such a meaningful issue for Palestinians and is related to individual freedom and access to resources, this study suggests that there are complex dynamics outside of typical demographic variables that contribute to well-being.

Palestinian Muslim College Students’ Attitudes to Mental Health Treatment: A Comparative Study

“…Mental health issues are particularly prevalent among students of diverse racial/ethnic and religious backgrounds who encounter stressors when moving to a secular world different from their home [ 5 , 6 ]. However, for students studying and living in politically unstable environments, suppressing their mental-health needs, quality of life, and well-being is a form of coping [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. This is especially true for Muslim students who adhere strongly to their religious practices and beliefs and use religion to cope with adversity and stress [ 11 ].…”