Psychological Distress Among Students in Egypt and Jordan During the Initial Months of the Gaza War

dc.authorid Ibrahim, Ismail/0000-0002-0805-8181
dc.authorid Nada, Eman Ayman/0000-0003-4313-1513
dc.authorscopusid 58555853800
dc.authorscopusid 57204445082
dc.authorscopusid 57476739200
dc.authorscopusid 59419428500
dc.authorscopusid 59419259000
dc.authorscopusid 58555612900
dc.authorscopusid 58943053600
dc.authorwosid Abouzid, Mohamed/AAE-3270-2019
dc.authorwosid Ibrahim, Ismail/KLC-4059-2024
dc.authorwosid kamel Eltewacy, nael/AAD-6654-2022
dc.authorwosid abdel aziz, mohamed/JFS-0481-2023
dc.contributor.author Hendawy, Mohamed
dc.contributor.author Abouzid, Mohamed
dc.contributor.author Gamal, Aliaa
dc.contributor.author Ghanayem, Aseel
dc.contributor.author Amer, Muna
dc.contributor.author Tanashat, Mohammad
dc.contributor.author Ibrahim, Ismail A.
dc.date.accessioned 2025-01-11T13:03:24Z
dc.date.available 2025-01-11T13:03:24Z
dc.date.issued 2024
dc.department Fenerbahçe University en_US
dc.department-temp [Hendawy, Mohamed] Alexandria Univ, Fac Pharm, Alexandria, Egypt; [Abouzid, Mohamed] Poznan Univ Med Sci, Fac Pharm, Dept Phys Pharm & Pharmacokinet, Rokietn 3 St, PL-60806 Poznan, Poland; [Abouzid, Mohamed] Poznan Univ Med Sci, Doctoral Sch, PL-60812 Poznan, Poland; [Gamal, Aliaa] Deraya Univ, Fac Pharm, Clin Pharm Dept, Al Minya, Egypt; [Gamal, Aliaa; Ghanayem, Aseel; Eltewacy, Nael Kamel] Eltewacy Arab Res Grp, Cairo, Egypt; [Ghanayem, Aseel] Univ Jordan, Sch Med, Amman 11942, Jordan; [Amer, Muna] Jordan Univ Sci & Technol, Fac Med, Irbid, Jordan; [Tanashat, Mohammad] Yarmouk Univ, Fac Med, Irbid, Jordan; [Eltewacy, Nael Kamel] Beni Suef Univ, Fac Pharm, Bani Suwayf, Egypt; [Mohamed, Mohamed Mustafa] Deraya Univ, Fac Pharm, New MinyaNew Minya, Minya, Egypt; [Nada, Eman Ayman] Tanta Univ, Fac Pharm, Tanta, Egypt; [Ibrahim, Ismail A.] Fenerbahce Univ, Fac Hlth Sci, Istanbul, Turkiye en_US
dc.description Ibrahim, Ismail/0000-0002-0805-8181; Nada, Eman Ayman/0000-0003-4313-1513 en_US
dc.description.abstract BackgroundPsychological distress has significantly impacted students in Egypt and Jordan. These countries have faced many challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the fallout from the conflict in Syria, and the war in Ukraine. These crises have had far-reaching consequences, affecting the economy, food security, and energy supplies, particularly with the increased number of refugees in these countries. Amid these existing complexities, the ongoing war in Gaza further exacerbates the situation, compounding mental health challenges. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze how the war in Gaza impacted the mental health of students in Egypt and Jordan. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study involving students from Egypt and Jordan between December 2023 and January 2024. The questionnaire incorporated the Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18) to assess the overall general distress score, as well as the domains of anxiety, somatization, and depression. ResultsA total of 1509 Jordanian and Egyptian students were included in the study, of which 66% were female. Approximately 18% of the students had an elevation (>= 50) in their BSI-18 total score. Females scored significantly higher in general distress [30 (18-44.25) vs. 24 (11-41), p < 0.001], and all three dimensions. The univariate predictors for elevated general distress (>= 50) were being Egyptian (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.08, p = 0.014), watching social media multiple times a day (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.97 to 4.69, p < 0.001), and having a Palestinian connection (friend, neighbor, colleague, or relative) (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.16, p < 0.001). These three predictors were retained in the backward stepwise multivariate regression analysis model. The univariate predictors for moderate and marked general distress (>= 57) were watching social media multiple times a day (OR 3.26, 95% CI 1.78 to 5.99, p < 0.001) and having a Palestinian connection (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.14, p = 0.026). Only the former was retained in the backward stepwise multivariate regression analysis. ConclusionGeneral distress has increased among students in Egypt and Jordan throughout the War in Gaza. Mental, psychological, and social support activities are necessary for these students, particularly those watching social media multiple times daily. The development of coping skills to manage the additional stressors of war and socioeconomic status necessitates further research within this group of students. en_US
dc.description.sponsorship Deraya University; Technology & Innovation Funding Authority (STDF); Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) [PPI/STE/2020/1/00014/DEC/02]; Doctoral Schools Programme from NAWA Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange en_US
dc.description.sponsorship The authors thank the Technology & Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) and Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) for paying the publication cost. Mohamed Abouzid participates in the STER Internationalisation of Doctoral Schools Programme from NAWA Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange No. PPI/STE/2020/1/00014/DEC/02. en_US
dc.description.woscitationindex Social Science Citation Index
dc.identifier.citation 0
dc.identifier.doi 10.1186/s40359-024-02161-2
dc.identifier.issn 2050-7283
dc.identifier.issue 1 en_US
dc.identifier.pmid 39568052
dc.identifier.scopus 2-s2.0-85209802484
dc.identifier.scopusquality Q2
dc.identifier.uri https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-02161-2
dc.identifier.uri https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14627/269
dc.identifier.volume 12 en_US
dc.identifier.wos WOS:001360944600001
dc.identifier.wosquality Q2
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher Springernature en_US
dc.relation.publicationcategory Makale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı en_US
dc.rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess en_US
dc.scopus.citedbyCount 0
dc.subject War en_US
dc.subject Anxiety en_US
dc.subject Depression en_US
dc.subject Stress en_US
dc.subject Healthcare Students en_US
dc.subject Psychache en_US
dc.subject Covid-19 en_US
dc.subject Pandemic en_US
dc.title Psychological Distress Among Students in Egypt and Jordan During the Initial Months of the Gaza War en_US
dc.type Article en_US
dc.wos.citedbyCount 1
dspace.entity.type Publication

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