"Mental and Physical Health are Products of Respecting Human Dignity and Basic Rights"

The World Mental Health Federation commemorates the world mental health day on the 10th of October every year. The Federation has chosen the theme for this year to be "No Health without Mental Health" for the significant impact mental health has on the general health of human beings. The harmony between body and psychological well-being is indisputable, where each of them affects one another. This day of mental health is considered a day of education, awareness, and advocacy for individuals, families, and the community as a whole about various mental health issues.

This day comes after the pullout of Israeli forces and settlers from the Gaza Strip where Palestinians continue to live in deteriorating security and economic circumstances. Despite the disengagement from Gaza, the Israeli forces are still controlling the air, water, and borders and impose a full restriction on the free movement of people, medical supplies, and food products. By doing this, they are converting the Gaza Strip into a huge prison and depriving Palestinians from movement and receiving much-needed medical treatment outside the Gaza strip.

The security conditions are worsening due to Israeli violence represented by assassinations, shelling with F-16 & sonic booms and spreading a state of horror and intimidation among people. Such violence led to a state of heightened stress among people. For example, the cases of abortions in Khanoynis hospital (24 cases in 6 days) has doubled during times of Israeli shelling with sonic booms, compared with average numbers (2 cases a day).

Moreover, the economic situation in Gaza Strip is worsening due to high percentage of unemployment, resulted from closures and destruction of infrastructure. Therefore, the basic physical needs are not met properly for many individuals. This, in turn, leads to more psychological stress which poses a threat to their mental health.

The general conditions of Palestinians are in deterioration to an alarming extent. The deteriorating economic situation in Gaza Strip with its impact on people's income is making them live in harsh conditions leading to heightened state of stress and low fulfillment of basic needs at the physical and psychological level.

A research study conducted by GCMHP concluded that the majority of children living in Gaza Strip are exposed to various degrees of traumatic experiences. The results indicated that, in areas of direct exposure, 54% of children were suffering from PTSD symptoms, while 32% of children living in remote areas were suffering from PTSD symptoms. For the remaining children, they were not spared from suffering from PTSD symptoms. The study also found that only 1.7% of children in areas of direct exposure, and only 2.5% of children in remote areas did not display symptoms of PTSD. Such numbers reflect the magnitude of Palestinian suffering and mental health problems resulting from the Israeli occupation practices.

In another epidemiological study, conducted in 2002 by a professional from GCMHP, about the prevalence of mental disorders for patients seeking medical treatment at the primary health care centers, it was found that 73% of the patients are suffering from mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Only 11% of those cases were detected by the general practitioners at the primary health care centers. Therefore, this demonstrates the pressing need to train health professionals, especially physicians to better detect cases of mental health nature that seek medical services.

The international community, represented by members of the UN Security Council, the European Commission, and the United Nations & its agencies, are called upon to intervene to implement democracy and human rights principles for communities and ensuring justice to avoid more deterioration to the psychological conditions of the underprivileged and marginalized groups exposed to oppression throughout the world. Such oppression will increase their suffering and impact their mental health and behavior, including increasing the vicious cycle of violence and counter-violence.

Professionals working in the field of mental health have to organize their efforts through joining local and international professional networks and organizations in order to spread the culture of peace and security via promoting democracy and liberation of nations as they are significant to achieving sound mental health for all human beings. Professionals must advocate for ending the stigma and discrimination against mental illness. To meet this challenge, several avenues exist. These include training & education, research, awareness, and advocacy.

In the end, we, at Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, salute all of our colleagues working in the area of mental health in Palestine and the world for their efforts and roles in enhancing and promoting mental health of all human beings all over the world. In this occasion, we call upon them to intensify their efforts to support the Palestinian human rights and reserving the dignity of human beings, as well as working towards stopping all forms of violence that Palestinians are facing by the Israeli occupation. Palestinian enjoyment of their basic rights, including liberty and self-determination, will contribute to promotion of their mental health. This, in turn, will reflect positively on peace and development in the region and the entire world.

Finally we emphasize that as long as oppression and occupation prevail, people's physical and mental well-being will be in jeopardy.
Gaza Community Mental Health Programme