Social adversities and anxiety disorders in the Gaza Strip
a Gaza Community
Mental Health Programme, PO Box 1049, Gaza, Palestine, b Department of Child Psychiatry, University of
Birmingham, Parkview Clinic, Queensbridge Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13
8QE, UK
Correspondence to: Dr Vostanis.
Accepted 9 January 1998
AIM
To investigate the rate and nature of anxiety
symptoms and disorders in children, and their relation to social
adversities in a cultural sample not previously researched.
METHODS237 children aged 9 to 13 years living in
the Gaza Strip were selected randomly from 112 schools. Children
completed the revised manifest anxiety scale (a questionnaire with
yes/no answers for 28 anxiety items and nine lie items), and teachers
completed the Rutter scale (a questionnaire of 26 items of child mental
health problems rated on a scale of 0-2: "certainly applies",
"applies somewhat", "doesn't apply").
RESULTSChildren reported high rates of
significant anxiety problems (21.5%) and teachers reported high rates
of mental health problems in the children (43.4%) that would justify
clinical assessment. Anxiety problems, particularly negative
cognitions, increased with age and were significantly higher among
girls. Low socioeconomic status (father unemployed or unskilled worker)
was the strongest predictor of general mental health problems. Living
in inner city areas or camps, both common among refugees, was strongly
associated with anxiety problems.
CONCLUSIONSThe rate and nature of anxiety
disorders were similar to those established in Western societies.
Factors reflecting social adversity and lack of stability were also
similarly involved. There may be more similarities in the presentation
of mental health symptoms across cultures than previously believed.
© 1998 by Archives of Disease in Childhood
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