Citation

Okasha A. Arab J. Psychiatr. 2003; 14(2): 75-81.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Arab Federation of Psychiatrists)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The World Psychiatric Association produced a statement in May 2002 regarding the escalation of violence in the Middle East and its consequences on mental health. The statement stated that the WPA "has been following with great concern the escalation of violence in the Occupied Territories, in Israel and in the refugee camps in the West bank and Gaza, which represents a new and serious threat to the mental and general health of affected people". The statement acknowledged the psychological trauma being experienced and the psychological consequences to be expected from chronic exposure to violence against civilians both in the Occupied territories and Israel and anticipated an increase in the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorders and emotional disorders of childhood, in addition to a wide spectrum of stress reactions, both acute and chronic, especially among the most vulnerable groups such as children, women, the elderly and the disabled. In its conclusion the statement appealed to all sides in the conflict to consider the short and long-term psychological consequences of violence and war and to bear their respective responsibility concerning the mental well being of future generations in the region. Less than a year after the issuance of the statement the region witnessed the US military aggression against Iraq, adding yet another conflict to the area which did not only affect the Iraqi people but also spilled over to an accentuation of violence in the Middle East. The statement was met with a positive response from both Palestinian and Israeli psychiatrists encouraging the WPA to initiate a task force to implement its recommendations and called on its member societies to raise public awareness in their respective countries regarding the psychological hazards of war, trauma and mass killings and to lobby their governments to play an active role to break the cycle of violence in the Occupied Territories and Israel. In June 2003 WPA cosponsored a meeting in Malta under the theme "The Role of Health and Culture in Conflict Resolution". The meeting was attended by an audience who were interested in Mental Health in the region and who believed that peace and democracy could play a major role in the development of the Arab countries. My contribution to that meeting was a plenary intervention discussing "the process of negotiation" from a psychological perspective, trying to highlight factors that contribute to the success or failure of the process, the impact of culture on negotiation and suggesting that peace negotiations are an ongoing process that has Io be enforced and supported beyond the bilateral or multilateral talks.

Language: en