Mental Health and Palestinian Citizens in Israel

Minorities face particular social strains, and these are often manifested in their overall mental health. In Israel, just under a quarter of the citizens are Arab Palestinians, yet very little has been published exploring the spectrum of mental health issues prevalent in this population. The work collected here draws on the first-hand experience of experts working with Israeli Palestinians to highlight the problems faced by service users, their families, and their communities. Palestinians in Israel face unique social, gender, and family-related conditions that also need reliable research and assessment. Mental Health and Palestinian Citizens in Israel offers research and observation on three central topics: socio-cultural determinants of mental health, mental health needs, and mental health service utilization. From suicidal behaviors and addiction to generational trauma and the particular concerns of children and the elderly, this broad and careful collection of research opens new dialogues on treatment, prevention, and methods for providing the best possible care to those in need.

The book will be a useful addition to clinical fields with potential to engage those of us working on mental health from more humanities-oriented positions.

Sarah Abu-Kaf is Senior Lecturer in Cross-Cultural Psychology in the Conflict Management and Resolution Program at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Nohad A'li is Co-director of the "Arabs-Jews-State" Unit at Samuel Neaman Institute, Technion, and Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Western Galilee Academic College and University of Haifa, Israel. He is author of Between Ovadia and Abdallah: Jewish and Islamic Fundamentalism in Israel and Islam in Israel: Muslim Communities in Non-Muslim State. Alean Al-Krenawi is Professor of Social Work, and Director of the Centre for Bedouin Studies and Development at Ben-Gurion University, Israel, and Dean of the School of Social Work at Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada. He is editor (with John Graham) of Multicultural social work in Canada: Working with diverse ethno-racial communities and author of Building peace through knowledge: The Israeli-Palestinian case. Raghda Alnabilsy is Researcher and Lecturer in the Department of Social Work at Ruppin Academic Center, Israel. Yael Bar-Zeev is Director of the Centre for Smoking Cessation and Prevention at Ben-Gurion University, Israel. Amir Birani is clinical social worker in private practice, and a fellow researcher with Wahiba Abu-Ras, School of Social Work, Adelphi University, New York, USA. Anat Brunstein-Klomek is a clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. She is also Adjunct Associate Research Scientist in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, USA. Raida Daeem is Director of Maghar Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic, and senior clinical psychologist at Ziv Medical Center, Safed, Israel. Marwan Dwairy is Professor at Oranim Academic College, Israel. He is author of From psycho-analysis to culture-analysis. Haneen Elias is Researcher and Lecturer in the Department of Social Work at Ruppin Academic Center, Israel. Anat Fleischman is Director of Addiction Treatment Services and Dual Diagnosis Unit at Yaffo Community Mental Health Center, Israel, and Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry of Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel. Paula Garber-Epstein is a clinical social worker and Lecturer at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Israel. Nabil Geraisy is Deputy District Psychiatrist, Northern District, Ministry of Health, Israel. As'ad Ghanem is Professor in the School of Political Science at the University of Haifa, Israel. Sfaa Ghnadre-Naser is a clinical psychologist and Lecturer at Oranim-Academic College of Education, Kiryat Tiv'on, Israel. Nehama Goldberger is Coordinator in the Health Statistics Unit, Health Information Division, Ministry of Health, Israel. Muhammad M. Haj-Yahia is Gordon Brown Chair and Professor of Social Work, Paul Baerwald School of Social Work an