A Lost Generation

Of the three gradations of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) the WHO reported that around half of all sufferers under 18 had the most severe condition. Typical symptoms include depression, panic attacks and most worryingly, a disposition towards violence.

We spoke with Dr. Eyad Al Sarrej, chairman of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) to explain the cause and effects; “With violence so common in Gaza, the trauma is internalised and ignored. When it manifests the targets are people around them, their own community. Within the family there are behavioural problems and after the war we see a trend of decreased tolerance and more impulsive, violent behaviour.”

Contributing factors of the occupation include restriction of movement, pillaging of property and the daily abuse children and their families suffer. “Young people see their loved ones being humiliated and killed. Studies show the worst trauma comes from witnessing the beating of their father”, says Sarraj. DCI statistics show that 98.5% of children are aware their parents have no power to protect them, which greatly increases their sense of anxiety and insecurity.

Sarraj claims it is common for a child who has lost their protector to seek a new one, “often an existing militia with guns and money, or they will form a new one. In the first Intifada we had children throwing stones, now we have child suicide bombers, an inhuman response to the inhuman conditions they live in. If an Israeli target is not available they will find new targets among themselves.”

Attempts to treat and reverse trauma have been hampered by the stigma and ignorance of mental illness, which remains prevalent in Palestinian society. There are less than 50 trained psychiatrists and psychologists in Gaza, while such illnesses are often associated with possession by the devil. The stigma of this perceived insanity is such that young girls can lose the right to marriage.

Sarraj believes there have been “moderate success” in changing attitudes and that work by the GCMHP and other bodies have led to more families seeking psychological help for their children. International organizations provide support, (albeit poorly co-ordinated) the UNRWA offers counselling and work is underway on a new school of mental sciences. Husam El-Nounou, also of GCMHP, attests that “with a good intervention program and a different environment, even severe cases can be reversed within ten years”, while Sarraj describes “a good level of resilience and adaptability in children”.

The problem is that with repeated exposure to traumas, any progress made can only be temporary. As these damaged children grow into the next generation of Gazan leaders, there can be little prospect of Gaza committing itself to any kind of peace. Instead a society reared on brutality and hate will surely perpetuate the corrosive cycle of violence. For the current generation struggling against this rising tide, there is only despair; “we cannot succeed in this environment”, Sarraj concludes.