Prevalence of mental distress and social support among university students in the occupied Palestinian territories

Abstract

University students are among the groups most vulnerable to mental distress globally. This cross-sectional study sought to evaluate the prevalence of mental distress, social support, and related factors among Palestinian university students in the West Bank from March to May 2024. A total of 410 students participated in the study, which used the Self-Report Questionnaire-20 for Mental Distress and the Social Support Questionnaire. The findings indicated that 58.5% of the students experienced mental distress (mean = 8.73 ± 5.10 SD), whereas 55.6% reported high levels of social support (mean = 3.68 ± 0.77 SD). Higher levels of mental distress were significantly associated with female gender, lower social support, lower religious commitment, family history of mental illness, and academic stressors. This study is distinctive as it situates the experiences of Palestinian students within the broader framework of settler colonialism and military occupation, which significantly affect their mental health and social support. The results underscore the need for targeted interventions, including the integration of mental health services in universities, the expansion of peer and community support, and the development of preventive programs tailored to the Palestinian context. Addressing mental distress in this setting requires tackling its structural and political roots by fostering community resilience and promoting the collective ethos of sumud as a foundation for psychosocial well-being.