There has been a growing body of evidence to suggest that the mental health problems in Palestine are one of the serious challenge faces both health professionals and policy makers. This can be seen to within the context of Palestinians unique situation of being a dispossessed, refugee population with chronic high levels of unemployment, pockets of extreme poverty and deprivation and a lack of social infrastructure. It should also be taken into account that as a result of terror and intimidation by Israeli occupation have delivered wide scale of traumatic events among the population.

Mental disorders constitute one of the most challenging health problems for primary health care professionals (mainly GPs and Nurses) in both governmental and non-governmental health sectors. A recent epidemiological study has reported a high prevalence rate of mental health problems among patients attending primary health care clinics in the Gaza Strip.

General Aims of the course


• To provide Nurses with a knowledge base of mental health issues, mental ill-health etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment, nursing theory, mental health ethics, issues in psychology and appropriate and related nursing and multi-disciplinary clinical experience.
  
• To develop the skills base of the intake group of nurses in areas of counselling, comunication, individuals, family and group psychotherapy, primary intervention, case management, community education and promotion.
  
• To enable nurses, on completion of the course, to be able to identify mental ill-health problems and act as semi-autonomous practitioners within a community-based, multi-disciplinary primary mental health care team
  
• Understand the role of nurses in prevention of torture and promotion of human rights. Outcome
  
• Develop understanding of the concept community health, philosophy and principles, and various influences upon its development
  
• Develop the skills of early detection and prevention of mental ill-health in the community
  
• Understand the spirit of working with multi-disciplinary mental health team.
  
• Understand and use good listing, verbal and non verbal communication skills and learn the paraphrasing skills
  
• Understand the common mental ill-health problems and the bio-psych-social and community approaches to tackle these problems.
  
• Understand the ethical considerations in dealing with mental ill health problems
  
• Understand their role in promoting and preventing ill-treatment, torture andn human rights violations.