The mental health consequences of the 2023 genocide in Gaza, Palestine: A scoping review
- 1Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, 232 Anthropology and Art Practice Building, Berkeley, CA, 94703, USA
- 2Corresponding author. Department of Anthropology University of California, Berkeley 232 Anthropology and Art Practice Building, Berkeley, California, 94703, USA.
Abstract
Background: Israel's genocide in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4.14% of the population. Palestinians throughout Gaza have been subjected to sustained, widespread violence and imminent threats to life through bombardment, forced displacement, and the systematic deprivation of basic needs. These highly traumatic conditions pose severe threats to the physical and mental health of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and may have reverberating effects on Palestinians across the occupied territories. Objective: This scoping review examined the mental health consequences of Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and Palestinian citizens outside of Gaza, as well as processes of coping and resilience. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, research articles investigating the mental health consequences of the 2023 genocide in Gaza and published after October 2023 were identified from five major search engines, including PubMed, Scopus, SpringerLink, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The studies’ results were organized into the following three categories: psychological experiences of genocide, resilience, and coping strategies under genocide. Results: Findings revealed devastating mental health effects due to the genocide, with Gazans experiencing the most extreme outcomes. Gazan reported alarmingly high prevalence rates of mental health symptoms, including depression (72.7-99.0%), anxiety (65.0-99.4%), and PTSD (67.0-83.5%), which were the highest among all examined groups. Resilience and coping resources among Palestinians included cognitive strategies, family and social support, religion, and sociopolitical processes. Conclusion: These findings highlight the large-scale psychological consequences of the 2023 Gazan genocide and underscore the urgent need for emergency mental health interventions in Palestine. Immediate action is necessary to prevent further psychological damage from the genocide and mitigate the harms of this irreversible humanitarian catastrophe.
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BibTeX
@article{atout2026mental,
title = {{The mental health consequences of the 2023 genocide in Gaza, Palestine: A scoping review}},
author = {Sameeha Atout and Andrew Wooyoung Kim},
journal = {SSM - Mental Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.ssmmh.2026.100711},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2026.100711},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The mental health consequences of the 2023 genocide in Gaza, Palestine: A scoping review
AU - Sameeha Atout
AU - Andrew Wooyoung Kim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - SSM - Mental Health
DO - 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2026.100711
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2026.100711
AB - Background: Israel's genocide in the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4.14% of the population. Palestinians throughout Gaza have been subjected to sustained, widespread violence and imminent threats to life through bombardment, forced displacement, and the systematic deprivation of basic needs. These highly traumatic conditions pose severe threats to the physical and mental health of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and may have reverberating effects on Palestinians across the occupied territories. Objective: This scoping review examined the mental health consequences of Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and Palestinian citizens outside of Gaza, as well as processes of coping and resilience. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, research articles investigating the mental health consequences of the 2023 genocide in Gaza and published after October 2023 were identified from five major search engines, including PubMed, Scopus, SpringerLink, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The studies’ results were organized into the following three categories: psychological experiences of genocide, resilience, and coping strategies under genocide. Results: Findings revealed devastating mental health effects due to the genocide, with Gazans experiencing the most extreme outcomes. Gazan reported alarmingly high prevalence rates of mental health symptoms, including depression (72.7-99.0%), anxiety (65.0-99.4%), and PTSD (67.0-83.5%), which were the highest among all examined groups. Resilience and coping resources among Palestinians included cognitive strategies, family and social support, religion, and sociopolitical processes. Conclusion: These findings highlight the large-scale psychological consequences of the 2023 Gazan genocide and underscore the urgent need for emergency mental health interventions in Palestine. Immediate action is necessary to prevent further psychological damage from the genocide and mitigate the harms of this irreversible humanitarian catastrophe.
SN - 2666-5603
ER -