Human insecurity, chronic economic constraints and health in the occupied Palestinian territory

• Published in: Global public health Vol. 9; no. 5; pp. 495 - 515
• Main Authors: McNeely, Clea, Barber, Brian K., Spellings, Carolyn, Giacaman, Rita, Arafat, Cairo, Daher, Mahmoud, El Sarraj, Eyad, Abu Mallouh, Mohammed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 28.05.2014; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Associations; chronic economic constraints; Conflict; Depression - epidemiology; Economic conditions; Evaluation; Female; Forecasts; Health; Households; human insecurity; Humans; Insecurity; Interviews as Topic; Male; Middle Aged; Middle East - epidemiology; occupied Palestinian territory; Palestinian Authority; Palestinian people; Palestinians; parental loss; Political activism; Political conflict; Political conflicts; Political violence; Politics; Public health; Quality of Life; Risk Factors; Samples; Social Conditions; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Suffering; Trauma; Victims of crime; Violence; Violence - economics; Violence - psychology; Middle East; Palestinian territory; human insecurity; occupied Palestinian territory; chronic economic constraints; political conflict; parental loss
• ISSN: 1744-1692; 1744-1706
• DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2014.903427

Research on the effects of political conflict has focused predominantly on the association between violence exposure and psychological trauma. This paper expands that focus. We broaden the assessment of health beyond the conventional spotlight on trauma-related stress to include culturally derived measures of health, and we assess the association between a broad array of political and economic conditions and health. Household interviews were conducted in 2011 with a representative sample of 508 30-40 year olds in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt; response rate = 97%). The four dependent variables were limits on functioning due to health, feeling broken or destroyed (both culturally derived measures of health), feelings of depression and trauma-related stress. Twenty-four predictor variables assessed multiple dimensions of political conflict and background characteristics. All four measures of health and suffering were associated with human insecurity and resource adequacy. Exposure to political violence was associated only with trauma-related stress. These findings support the increasing recognition that human insecurity and chronic economic constraints in the oPt broadly threaten health, perhaps more so than direct exposure to violence. Ultimately, a political solution is required, but in the meantime, efforts to reduce insecurity and improve economic conditions may improve health and reduce suffering in the oPt.