Palestinians in Gaza are currently involved in building their own state and organizing ministerial activities for social affairs, education, primary health care, and psychiatric care. To plan a vital organization for mental health care for all social groups, we need basic information about the epidemiology of health problems, self-care practices, illness behavior, and social problems, such as drug abuse, domestic violence, mental illness and the problems of the handicapped.

The Research Department has three ongoing projects. The first of these is research into trauma therapy, examining and comparing the methods used by GCMHP and other mental health organizations in Gaza to identify the most effective treatment. The project is taking place in cooperation with Helsinki University. Secondly, a study is being done into the resilience of children: how they perceive the future, what causes their reactions to traumatic experiences. And where there is a relation between the experiences of different generations of the same family. For this study, children who have taken part in previous research projects have been followed up, as there is already a relationship of trust and useful comparisons can be made with earlier results. Finally, the Department is engaged in a study about the attitudes of the population in Gaza toward mental illness.