The impact of structured activities among Palestinian children in a time of conflict
Abstract
Background: There is growing evidence of the impact on children's well‐being of exposure to political conflict in such settings as the Palestinian territories. This study examined the impact of child‐focused interventions involving structured activities, supported by provision of equipment and training of facilitators. The focus of interventions was participation in recreational, cultural and other non‐formal activities supporting the development of resilience. Impacts were hypothesised on children's social and emotional well‐being, relationships with parents and degree of future orientation. Methods: Two hundred and fifty children from the West Bank and 150 children from Gaza took part in the study. Of these 400 children, 300 comprised the intervention group. Fifty children from Gaza and 50 children from the West Bank comprised the comparison group. There were equal numbers of girls and boys in all groups, with similar proportions of children aged between 6 and 11 years, and between 12 and 17 years. Measures used were the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Parental Support Scale and the Hopefulness Scale: Youth Version. Assessment was made as children enrolled on the structured activity programmes (T1) and again twelve months later (T2). Results: There was no difference in the CBCL Total, Internalising or Externalising problem scores at baseline (Time 1) between the children who subsequently took the intervention and those who did not. Compared to children in the comparison group, children in the intervention group had lower CBCL total problem scores, externalising problem scores, and internalising problem scores at Time 2 compared to Time 1. Exposure to the intervention was not associated with changes in children's hopefulness, but those receiving the intervention in the West Bank did report improved parental support at Time 2. Conclusions: The intervention appeared successful in improving children's emotional and behavioural well‐being but not hopefulness. It was also linked with increased parental support in some areas (those located in the West Bank).
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Parental support improved at one of the Palestinian trial sites.
“improvements in parental support were reported at one of the sites involved.”
From Interventions for Children Affected by War: An Ecological Perspective on Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Care (2013) · cites this paper as [40]
A yearlong nonrandomized trial in the Palestinian Territories found that children in structured NGO-site activities had improved internalizing and externalizing outcomes relative to a small control group.
“Child participants demonstrated improved internalizing/externalizing outcomes when compared to a small control arm;”
From Interventions for Children Affected by War: An Ecological Perspective on Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Care (2013) · cites this paper as [40]
The Palestinian structured-activity trial did not find improvements in hopefulness.
“improvements in hopefulness were not observed;”
From Interventions for Children Affected by War: An Ecological Perspective on Psychosocial Support and Mental Health Care (2013) · cites this paper as [40]
A controlled clinical trial in the occupied Palestinian territory found that structured social activities improved internalising and externalising problem scores and parental support quality in 6-16-year-olds in the West Bank, but not hope.
“A controlled clinical trial in the occupied Palestinian territory of structured social activities (recreational and cultural) showed improvements in 6–16-year-olds in internalising and externalising problem scores, and the quality of parental support (in the West Bank only), but not in feelings of hope.”
From Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings: linking practice and research (2011) · cites this paper as [70]
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- Authors
- Loughry, M., Ager, A., Flouri, E., Khamis, V., Afana, A. H., & Qouta, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Queen Margaret University (GB)
- University of London (GB)
- Bethlehem University (PS)
- Jerusalem Mental Health Center (IL)
- Corresponding author
- Loughry, Maryanne
- Venue
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2006-11-27
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 1211-1218
- ISSN
- 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7610
- OpenAlex
- W2060822718
- Cited by
- 131
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 37 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 3.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Vermont
- University of Oxford
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Therapy and Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Keywords
- child well-being, political conflict, Palestinian children, structured activities, resilience, child-focused interventions, social and emotional wellbeing, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, parental support, hope, West Bank, Gaza Strip
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Child Behavior, Child, Preschool, Conflict, Psychological, Crisis Intervention, Female, Humans, Leisure Activities, Male, Middle East, Parents, Politics, Psychology, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Behavior, Social Support, Teaching, Arabs
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