Search

Questo caso di studio fenomenologico descrive l’esperienza di due supervisori bianchi occidentali con una motivazione decoloniale che tentano di co-creare uno spazio di supervisione interculturale con terapisti che vivono e lavorano nella Striscia di Gaza. A causa della mancanza di esperti locali specializzati in salute mentale, i professionisti cercano fuori dai loro confini l’assistenza straniera, ma l’assistenza straniera porta con sé il rischio di colonizzazione e la responsabilità di impegnarsi in modo corretto e collaborativo. Abbiamo aperto un dialogo tra le voci bianche e indigene per discutere l’adattamento dei modelli tradizionali di terapia familiare per implementare servizi di terapia familiare culturalmente e contestualmente appropriati nella più grande clinica di salute mentale nella Striscia di Gaza. Mi metto in discussione come outsider culturale e le sue implicazioni coloniali e applico approcci collaborativi per ridurre al minimo il mio impatto coloniale. Attraverso la condivisione di un esempio emblematico di supervisione decoloniale esponiamo il tentativo di impegnarsi in una supervisione e formazione interculturale e intercontestuale in modo proattivo e rispettoso, soprattutto quando si lavora con professionisti della salute mentale in aree colpite da conflitto, fragili o post-conflitto. Metodi: La fenomenologia interpretativa, insieme agli strumenti di raccolta dei dati etnografici, sono stati scelti per mettere in luce l'esperienza e gli eventuali impatti trasformativi della ricerca. La raccolta dei dati ha compreso la registrazione di otto sessioni di supervisione, cinque interviste e quattro focus group. Inoltre, sono state utilizzate riviste etnografiche, osservazione partecipante e metodologia di collaborazione con terapisti palestinesi. I dati sono stati raccolti tramite due visite sul campo nella Striscia di Gaza e su Internet. I quattro focus group e le cinque interviste sono stati progettati non solo per trovare l’essenza del fenome, This phenomenological case study shares the story of two white Western supervisors with a decolonial motive attempting to co-create a cross-cultural supervisory space with therapists living and working in the Gaza Strip. Because of the lack of local experts in mental health specializations, practitioners look outside their borders to foreign assistance, and with foreign assistance comes the risk of colonization and the responsibility to engage correctly and collaboratively. We open a dialogue between white and indigenous voices to discuss the adaptation of mainstream family therapy models to implement culturally and contextually appropriate family therapy services in the largest mental health clinic in the Gaza Strip. I question myself as a cultural outsider and its colonial implications, and apply collaborative approaches to minimize my colonial impact. Through sharing a relevant illustration of decolonial supervision we expose an attempt to engage in cross-cultural and cross-contextual supervision and training proactively and respectfully, especially when working with mental health professionals in conflict-affected, fragile, or post-conflict areas. Methods: Interpretive phenomenology, in tandem with ethnographic data collection tools were chosen to illuminate the experience and any transformative impacts of the research. Data collection included the recording of eight supervision sessions, five interviews, and four focus groups. In addition, ethnographic journals, participant observation, and go-along methodology with Palestinian therapists were used. Data was collected via two field visits to the Gaza Strip and the Internet. The four focus groups and five interviews were designed to not only find the heart of the phenomena but to create extended opportunities for the supervisees to share their experiences and exercise control over the themes which would ultimately reflect their experiences. The progressive steps of analysis and the final collection of themes ani

This study sought to qualitatively explore dimensions of human insecurity and their effect on the quality of life as an antecedent of general well-being and mental health among a group of young internally displaced people (IDPs) living in refugee camps in the region of Diffa, Niger. Thirty-six IDPs (56% female, 44% male; MAge = 15; SD = 1.96) took part in 9 focus group discussions in which they were asked to describe two types of people, one with poor and one with good general well-being after displacement. Additionally, participants were asked to comment on their personal experiences. Five main themes emerged from the thematic content analysis (TCA): Experience of human insecurity during the internal displacement, sources of functioning and protective factors, coping strategies, adverse health and mental health outcomes, and positive mental health outcomes depicted the participants’ perceptions and concerns. Mental health and quality of life proved to be interlocked constructs, where the psychological dimension is affected and contextualized by human insecurity, general well-being, and human rights–related factors.

The coronavirus pandemic has been sweeping the world for more than a year. As physical health begins to stabilize in the western world, an increasing concern is related to the impact of the virus and its containment measures on people’s mental health. This work aimed to explore the effect of demographic factors (age, gender, level of education, and socioeconomic status) and variables such as fear of COVID-19 and social support in predicting the quality of life and mental health of adults during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy. Through an online survey with 1087 Italian adults (M = 39.7, SD = 16.39; 74.4% women), gender and socioeconomic status emerged as crucial factors in determining differences regarding people’s responses and reactions to the pandemic. In addition, the results highlighted the importance of perceived social support and a moderate fear of COVID-19 in predicting people’s quality of life and mental health. The study suggests important guidelines for the development of interventions to support the population’s well-being and mental health.

Our explorative work aimed to qualitatively analyze the factors affecting human security and psychological well-being in a group of migrants temporarily hosted in a Nigerian transit center. The study involved 250 migrants from different Western and sub-Saharan African countries who were interviewed during their stay in International Organization for Migration – supported transit centers. Thematic content analysis was performed on the texts of the interviews. Motivations for departure from the home country, resources available for migrants’ sense of security, expectations for their future, experience in the host country, and the relationship between human insecurity and life satisfaction were the main emerging themes.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a global crisis, necessitating an investigation of its effects from a mental health and wellbeing perspective. In Italy within a few weeks of detecting the first case of coronavirus (February 20, 2020), the country imposed a nationwide quarantine to reduce transmission of the virus disrupting people’s daily lives, and creating a significant impact on their physical and mental health. Methods: We sought to test the mediating role of the fear of COVID-19 in the association between mental distress and risky health behaviours in a population of 592 Italian adults, including 467 females and 124 males (M= 39.7; SD= 16.4; range 18-79). First, we hypothesized a direct positive effect of mental distress, measured through the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) on risky health behaviours, recorded throughout an adaptation of the Ebola risk behaviour scale, second, a direct and negative association between mental distress and fear of COVID-19 and the mediation role of Fear of COVID (FCV) between mental distress and risky health behaviours. Results: Mental distress and risky behaviours showed to be tied thanks to the mediation of fear of the COVID-19. This relationship is an essential indicator of the role of decreased mental health in alleviating fear and exposing people to risky behaviours. Conclusions: Good mental health could protect from risk-taking behaviours when fear is not intervening as a mediator, while psychologically distressed people could perceive less fear of getting infected and be exposed to harmful and dangerous behaviours that could increase the risk of contracting the COVID-19. Our findings might help in promoting healthy behaviours during the pandemic outbreak.

The main goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) in the Palestinian context and the factorial structure of the instrument. The CSS, a newly emerging internationally standardized measure of stress related to being exposed to or contracting COVID-19, was translated and validated for a Palestinian context to ensure that it can be used to measure COVID-19 stress. The sample of the study consisted of 860 Palestinian adults living in the West Bank of Palestine. Participants’ age ranged from 20 to 48 years old (M= 34.7, SD =13.46). They were all recruited from online advertisements, e-mail campaigns, blogs, social media, and SMS campaigns. The CSS was found to be valid in the Arabic language within a Palestinian context. The confirmatory factor analysis yielded six factors: (1) Fears about the dangerousness of COVID-19, (2) fears about the personal social, and economic consequences of COVID-19, fears of disruption in the supply chain, fears of looting or rioting, (3) COVID-19-xenophobia, fears that foreigners are sources of COVID-19, (4) fears about sources of COVID-19-related contamination,(5) traumatic stress symptoms related to COVID-19, and (6) COVID-19-related checking which is consisting with the ordinal structure the scale. The CSS demonstrated a high level of validity and reliability in a Palestinian context and therefore can be considered for future studies as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Further investigations using the Arabic Language of CSS may have far-reaching implications for measuring and combating the stress of COVID-19 at a personal and societal level for uniquely at-risk populations such as in the occupied territories of Palestine.

BACKGROUND We tested the association between the stress of COVID-19 and mental distress manifested by anxiety, depression, and stress, and whether well-being and resilience mediate the relationship between the two variables in a population of Palestinian adults. Namely, we hypothesized that stress of COVID-19 will be positively associated with mental health problems (anxiety, depression, and stress); well-being and resilience will be negatively associated with mental health problems (anxiety, depression, and stress); and well-being and resilience will mediate the association between the stress of COVID-19 and mental health problems (anxiety, depression, and stress). PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, the Resilience Scale for Adults, the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, and the COVID-19 Stress Scales were administered to 860 participants via online survey. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to address the study hypothesis. RESULTS Participants recorded a mild level of stress of COVID-19 and high scores for resilience and well-being. A conceptual model depicting COVID-19 stress as a predictor, mental distress as an outcome variable, and resilience and subjective well-being as mediators was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS Palestinians are exposed to mental distress in an environment characterized by ongoing stressors. Conversely, the capability of Palestinians to conserve good levels of well-being and resilience protects them from mental distress even in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. On the other hand, COVID-19 can be considered a new critical event demanding and diminishing the people's resiliency recourses in Palestine. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed.