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Mental Suffering in Protracted Political Conflict: Feeling Broken or Destroyed
Brian K Barber1,2, Clea A McNeely1, Eyad El Sarraj3
1University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America.
Plos One
|May 28, 2016
Summary
A new measure for "feeling broken or destroyed" mental suffering was developed and validated in Palestinians. This construct is distinct from depression and PTSD, offering a more contextualized understanding of trauma in conflict zones.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Existing mental health instruments may not fully capture the unique suffering experienced in regions of political conflict.
- Palestinian participants described an existential form of mental suffering, distinct from specific symptoms of depression or PTSD.
- This suffering is characterized by a feeling of being broken or destroyed in spirit, morale, or future, alongside emotional and psychological exhaustion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and develop a quantitative measure for a novel construct of mental suffering termed "feeling broken or destroyed."
- To validate this new measure within the context of the occupied Palestinian territory.
- To assess the construct's distinctiveness from existing mental health measures.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach was employed, starting with group interviews with 68 Palestinians (aged 30-40) in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip.
- Survey items were developed based on interview findings and administered to a representative sample of 1,778 adults (aged 32-43).
- A subsample (n=508) completed the survey again six months later to provide repeated measures for construct validation.
Main Results:
- Exploratory factor analyses confirmed the "feeling broken or destroyed" scale as a separate factor.
- The scale demonstrated high inter-item consistency and was reported across genders and regions.
- The measure showed discriminant validity with moderate correlations to depression and trauma-related stress, and was experienced more frequently than these conventional measures.
Conclusions:
- The "feeling broken or destroyed" construct is reliably measurable and distinct from conventional mental health indicators.
- Locally grounded measures are crucial for accurately assessing the impact of protracted political conflict on functioning.
- This validated scale offers a more nuanced understanding of mental suffering in specific socio-political contexts.
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