Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC), Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2024;15(1):2416824. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2024.2416824. Epub 2024 Oct 23.
For more than a year, the world has been exposed to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, and the destruction, medical devastation, and the death toll of this crisis. What has been largely missing from the picture, has been an attention to the long-term mental health impact of the ongoing trauma among the Palestinian civilians and the Israeli hostages in Gaza. This article anticipates the enduring generational impact of war trauma on mental health of the civilians in Gaza, drawing from the author's clinical and research experiences of Iraqi, Syrian, Afghan, African, and Ukrainian war-exposed civilians, refugees, and survivors of torture. Across most different studies, war exposure leads to PTSD in nearly 30-50% of adult civilians, and similar rates of depression and anxiety. Civilians in Gaza, facing daily horrors and a profound sense of helplessness, are likely experiencing even greater psychological distress. Children, significantly affected during critical developmental stages, are at risk of long-term mental and physical health issues. The psychological, cultural, and epigenetic aspects of the intergenerational transmission of trauma can lead to psychological torment across generations. Addressing the mental health needs of these populations is crucial to mitigating the profound and lasting impact of war.
一年多来，世界一直关注着加沙持续不断的冲突，以及这场危机造成的破坏、医疗灾难和死亡人数。然而，人们在很大程度上忽视了这场冲突给巴勒斯坦平民和加沙以色列人质带来的长期心理创伤。本文通过作者对伊拉克、叙利亚、阿富汗、非洲和乌克兰饱受战争创伤的平民、难民和酷刑幸存者的临床和研究经验，预测了战争创伤对加沙平民心理健康的持久代际影响。在大多数不同的研究中，战争暴露导致近 30-50%的成年平民出现创伤后应激障碍，以及类似比例的抑郁和焦虑。加沙平民每天都面临着可怕的情景，感到无助，他们可能经历着更大的心理困扰。在关键的发育阶段受到严重影响的儿童，面临着长期的心理和身体健康问题的风险。创伤的代际传递的心理、文化和表观遗传方面，可能会在几代人中造成心理折磨。解决这些人群的心理健康需求，对于减轻战争的深远和持久影响至关重要。
