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The mental health consequences of the 2023 genocide in Gaza, Palestine: A scoping review

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: 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 on Gazans and Palestinian citizens outside of Gaza and investigated 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, and religion. 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.

Source: SSM - Mental Health

DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2026.100711

Authors: Sameeha Atout, Andrew Wooyoung Kim

Institution: University of California, Berkeley

Language: English

Topic: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,540