Risk and protection of suicidal behavior among Palestinian University Students in the Gaza Strip: An exploratory study in a context of military violence

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare the psychological characteristics of university students in Gaza groups at differing levels of risk of suicide. Four hundred and thirty-one university students (M^age = 20.53 years, SD = 1.89, range = 17–21), 75 of whom reported being at “high risk” of suicide were recruited in the Gaza Strip and asked to complete the Gaza Siege Checklist, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Berlin Social Support Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The data were analyzed using stepwise discriminant analysis (DA). Mental distress, hopelessness, and social resilience (social support) contributed to the discriminant function. Lower personal resilience was not a significant discriminating factor for suicide risk. Our findings draw attention to the relations among the psychological, social, and political factors implicated in suicidal behavior in a context characterized by ongoing low-intensity warfare. Social resilience can be undermined by conditions of protracted and systematic violence undermining protective factors against suicidal ideations. Ultimately, research and intervention oriented at detecting and promoting social networks to reduce the risk of suicide are recommended.

Keywords:

• Suicide
• political violence
• mental distress
• hopelessness
• social support
• resilience