The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP; ) is the leading

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

non-governmental organization which provides mental health services to the inhabitants of the

Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...

. The organization's stated purpose is committed to aid women, children, and victims of violence, torture, and human rights violations. The organization has over 135 employees, is involved with 18 international, regional and local coalitions and networks, and has treated over 20,000 clients. GCMHP was founded in 1990 by

Eyad al-Sarraj Eyad El-Sarraj (; 27 April 1944 − 17 December 2013) was a Palestinian psychiatrist. He was a consultant to the Palestinian delegation at the Camp David 2000 Summit, a recipient of the Physicians for Human Rights Awards and featured in ''Army of ...

. The head office is located in the Sheikh Ejleen neighborhood, across from the Gaza Municipality Beach Club. In 2008, the premises were damaged by Israeli shelling of a nearby Palestinian police station, forcing GCMHP to relocate temporarily to the Gaza Community Center. GCMHP's vision is to secure a Palestinian society that respects human rights and in which people are able to live in freedom and with dignity.

Community mental health

GCMHP runs three community centers in

Gaza City Gaza City, also called Gaza, is a city in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the capital of the Gaza Governorate. Located on the Mediterranean coast, southwest of Jerusalem, it was home to Port of Gaza, Palestine's only port. With a population of ...

Deir al-Balah Deir al-Balah or Deir al Balah () is a city in the center of the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and the administrative capital of the Deir al-Balah Governorate. It is located over south of Gaza City. The city had a population of 75,132 in 2017. The ci ...

and

Khan Younis Khan Yunis (), also spelled Khan Younis or Khan Yunus, is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, and serves as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate. It has been largely destroyed during the Gaza war. Before the 14th century, Khan ...

. The community centers offer psychotherapy for referred cases, rehabilitation, occupational therapy, EEG scans, physiotherapy, intelligence testing and crisis intervention. GCMHP research has shown that Palestinian children have developed feelings of hostility, anger, fear and frustration which has led to an increase of violence among school students.Qouta S., Punamaki R., El-Sarraj E. (1995). The relations between traumatic experiences, activity, and cognitive and emotional responses among palestinian children. ''

International Journal of Psychology The ''International Journal of Psychology'' is a bimonthly peer-reviewed academic journal covering all aspects of psychology. It was established in 1966 by Paul Fraisse, and is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International Union of ...

'' Volume 30, Issue 3, 1995, 289 – 304 In response to this, GCMHP has implemented a school mediation program which aims to reduce the level of violence and to educate children in peaceful conflict resolution techniques. The programme also trains school counselors, teachers and parents in mediation techniques. GCMHP is active in the organization of psychosocially oriented summer camps for children, as well as recreational trips throughout the year. GCMHP enables Palestinian patients to receive medical treatment abroad by coordinating with Israeli associations that work in the human rights field. The organization also offers free telephone counseling.

Education

GCMHP offers a postgraduate diploma in Community Mental Health and Human Rights, as well as a diploma in Counseling and Psychological Support. Graduates of the diploma are equipped to facilitate the provision of mental health services in Gaza.

Publications

In addition to a number of awareness-raising brochures and leaflets, GCMHP publishes a bimonthly magazine called 'Amwaj'. The magazine focuses on mental health issues and is distributed to local organizations in the Gaza strip.

Research

The Research Department is the first specialized center for research and documentation in the field of mental health in the Gaza Strip. The department has conducted over 68 research studies examining trauma and a variety of psychosocial phenomena. Research papers published in international journals include "The Relations between Traumatic Experiences, Activity, and Cognitive and Emotional Responses Among Palestinian Children," "Relationships between Traumatic Events, Children's Gender, and Political Activity, and Perceptions of Parenting Styles," "Home Demolition and Mental Health: Victims and Witnesses," and "Mental Health of Palestinian Women."

Funding

GCMHP is funded by a consortium of overseas donors including the

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is an office-level agency in the federal administration of Switzerland, and a part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Together with other federal offices, SDC is responsible for ...

, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the

Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims DIGNITY - Danish Institute Against Torture (formerly RCT short for ''Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims'') is a self-governing institution independent of party politics located in Denmark. The institution works to expose and do ...

– Denmark (RCT), and the

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (, ) is a government agency of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Sida is responsible for organization of the bulk of Sweden's official development assistance to developing coun ...

(SIDA). There are also a number of other non-consortium donors including the Gaza Mental Health Foundation, founded in the USA in 2001 and Grassroots International (http://www.GrassrootsOnline.org), founded in 1983.

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Gaza Community Mental Health Programme website
Medical and health organizations based in Palestine Gaza Strip Organizations established in 1990