Palestine
Community-based program supports mental health in Palestinian conflict region
Youth who encounter sociopolitical violence and trauma are at risk for significant and long-lasting repercussions, including anxiety, behavior problems, and depression. While intervention programs for children do exist in Palestinian conflict zones, there are few evidence-based programs that focus on families. To address this critical need, the Notre Dame colleagues crafted The Promoting Positive Family Futures (PPFF) which includes strategies to strengthen the mental health of parents and children, and fortify emotional security and healthy communication in households.
The 12-hour program includes one 90-minute session per week for eight weeks; six sessions will be group-based and two will be family-based. Participants will be taught basic skills of cognitive behavior therapy and communication strategies for how to engage about a variety of topics.
During group sessions, fathers will meet together in one space while mothers and children will gather together concurrently in another.
Adolescents in the PPFF pilot achieved comparable positive results with counterparts who took part in a longer (50-hour, 25-session), well-established, locally administered, adolescent program. Youth in both programs demonstrated significant improvement in adjustment problems, resilience and security within the family.
The PPFF program also resulted in distinct, positive outcomes for parents and family-wide adjustment. Notably, through the use of cognitive strategies, parents were better able to regulate their emotions, which was associated with lower levels of depression. If the PPFF is successful, area counseling centers and organizations could administer the program to additional families in the West Bank and Gaza.
Research Focus
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Global Health Technologies
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Health Systems, Policy, and Organizations
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Maternal/Child and Community Health
At the EIGH, our researchers explore multifaceted health issues pertaining to women, pregnancy, breastfeeding, reproduction, and infant and child well-being. Our focus to decrease maternal and infant mortality rates supports a global priority among health practitioners and researchers. Additionally, community-based research on the local and global levels promotes a team effort to protect and improve the health of population groups worldwide.
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Mental Health
At the EIGH, our researchers explore the multifactorial conditions which can introduce mental health issues into local and global communities. Focus areas include underserved and resource poor-communities, regions with socio-economic, infrastructure, or political instability, paternal and maternal mental health, and child mental wellness. Additionally, community-based research on the local and global levels promotes a team effort to protect and improve the health of population groups worldwide.
