Psychological Impact and Among Nursing Students in the West Bank after the October Gaza War

Raneen Jabareen, Zainab M. Tarayrah, Lujain M. Bhias, Malak R. Abujabeen, Nagham M. Manasrah, Nourman S. Mughanam, Roaa I. Hrenat and Roaa M. Asafrah

Nursing Depths Series, 2025, vol. 4, 315-315

Abstract: Background: The October 2023 Gaza War's psychological impact extended beyond its epicenter, affecting populations throughout the region. Nursing students, facing dual pressures of academic training and exposure to collective trauma, represent a vulnerable yet understudied group in the West Bank. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of PTSD-related symptoms among nursing students in the West Bank following the October Gaza War and to explore variations across demographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 195 nursing students from universities across the West Bank. Participants completed a structured questionnaire collecting demographic data and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) to measure symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA. Results: The sample was predominantly female (71.3%), single (89.2%), with a mean age of 21 years. Participants reported moderate to high levels of psychological impact. Intrusion symptoms were prominent (e.g., "Any reminder brought back feelings," Mean=2.21), alongside significant avoidance behaviors (e.g., "I tried not to think about it," Mean=1.94). Hyperarousal symptoms, particularly irritability (Mean=2.07) and difficulty concentrating (Mean=1.95), were also elevated. No statistically significant differences in total IES-R scores were found across gender, academic year, place of residence, or marital status (all p > .05). Conclusion: The findings indicate a significant and pervasive psychological impact on nursing students, highlighting a urgent need for institutional mental health support, trauma-informed educational strategies, and accessible counseling services to safeguard the well-being of the future healthcare workforce in Palestine.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:dbk:nursin:2025v4a52

DOI: 10.56294/nds2025315

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Nursing Depths Series from AG Editor (Argentina)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Javier Gonzalez-Argote ().