Mental Health Outcomes Among Public Social Workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Public sector social workers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories experience loss and trauma on a daily basis. Study objectives were to: (a) assess levels of three mental health outcomes and (b) examine workplace correlates among Palestinian social workers in the West Bank. Results revealed alarmingly high percentages of workers who met clinical thresholds for somatic symptoms (70.9%), distress (34.7%), and anxiety (19.3%). Multivariate regression models explained 25-32% of outcome variance. Job stress, exposure to violence, and job satisfaction were significant in two models, and physical health was significant in three models. Policy, practice, and future research implications are discussed.