Mental Health and Prevention最新文献

{"title":"The co-design of a children’s health and wellbeing Local model of care to embed early mental health intervention and prevention within community ecosystems","authors":"Jennifer Bibb ,&nbsp;Tara Dimopoulos-Bick ,&nbsp;Kate McMahon ,&nbsp;Caroline Tjung ,&nbsp;Phillip Orcher (Muruwori | Gumbaynggirr) ,&nbsp;Victoria J Palmer","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200457","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200457","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Objective:</em> The aim of this paper is to present the co-design processes for a conceptual design of a model of care for the Southern Melbourne Children’s Health and Wellbeing Local in Victoria, Australia – one of three pilot sites established under the National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and recommendations of the Victorian Royal Commission into Mental Health, targeting children’s mental health and wellbeing. <em>Methods:</em> Using an experience co-design approach, the concepts for the model of care were developed in partnership with over 235 children, families, carers, kin, service providers, and intersectoral partners across culturally and linguistically diverse and First Nations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) communities. Co-design used creative arts approaches, journey mapping and Lego serious play to establish experiential goals. The co-design also enabled identification of systemic barriers, including racism, stigma, distrust, and fragmented service pathways. <em>Results:</em> Systemic inequities that emerged through co-design included that carers, family and kin described deep-seated barriers shaped by past institutional harm, trauma and distrust towards health and mental health services and the government. This has created barriers to people engaging with and accessing new services. Five core elements to the model were outlined in the conceptual design: finding our way, feeling recognised and respected, open, playful, and connected. These elements reflect the priorities of community members for trauma violence-informed, culturally safe, and accessible care. <em>Conclusion:</em> The project highlights how co-design can identify inequities that are systemically caused which can further inform early intervention and prevention approaches within community ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200457"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring university students’ perspectives on Tai Chi for stress reduction: A qualitative study","authors":"Alexander Aslan ,&nbsp;Janet Conti ,&nbsp;Carolyn Ee ,&nbsp;Ashley Liao ,&nbsp;Md Nazmul Huda ,&nbsp;Marcus A. Henning ,&nbsp;Albert Yeung ,&nbsp;Byeongsang Oh ,&nbsp;Erin Mackenzie ,&nbsp;Guoyan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200455","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200455","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><strong>Background</strong>: University students often encounter substantial barriers to accessing necessary care for managing mental health challenges. This qualitative study aims to explore university students’ perspectives on Tai Chi as a potential intervention for stress reduction and overall wellbeing enhancement.</div><div><strong>Methods</strong>: Five focus groups with eighteen university students who reported stress, anxiety, and/or depression were held online between July and December 2023, covering topics related to mental health, perceptions of Tai Chi, and feedback on a proposed Tai Chi-based stress reduction program. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo 14.</div><div><strong>Results</strong>: Three key themes were generated that included: (1) student wellbeing challenges, (2) the perceptions of Tai Chi as a potential resource for coping with demands of being a university student, and (3) enhancing relevance and engagement of students in Tai Chi. Participants highlighted Tai Chi as a promising intervention to address gaps in students’ mental health care, emphasising its potential to enhance and integrate physical and psychological health and foster social connection. However, barriers such as age-related stereotypes and the need for flexible, accessible delivery were noted as crucial to maximising student engagement and participation. The findings will inform the development of a Tai Chi-based stress reduction program.</div><div><strong>Conclusions</strong>: This study provides valuable insights into how Tai Chi is perceived by university students, which can guide future research in developing tailored mind-body interventions to enhance university students’ mental health and support overall wellbeing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200455"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145158755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of a brief masculine body image pilot program on college-aged men","authors":"Laci Whipple,&nbsp;Levi W. Smith,&nbsp;Katelyn Whitmer,&nbsp;Mary E. Pritchard","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200451","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200451","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>These two pilot studies aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a new body image curriculum for men. The program introduces men to body image programming that targets muscle-building behaviors and addresses unrealistic male appearance standards and masculine gender norms, aiming to improve men’s body satisfaction and eating attitudes.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>We recruited 84 U.S. men from a public university in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States to participate in one 90-minute-long body image intervention adapted for men from the Be Body Positive curriculum. The majority of participants were white/caucasian and heterosexual, ages 18–20. Participants completed measures assessing eating disorder attitudes and appearance comparison in Study 1, whereas in Study 2, participants completed measures assessing mood and body image states. Additionally, participants in both studies answered program satisfaction questions.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>While the pilot program showed no impact on eating disorder symptoms or appearance comparison in Study 1, participants reported satisfaction with the program, discovering messages that influenced their relationships with food, body, and exercise, and increased awareness of unrealistic appearance standards. In Study 2, participants reported improved negative mood states and body satisfaction following the intervention.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings suggest that targeted programming can effectively address key aspects of male body image concerns, highlight the promising impact of male-specific body image interventions, and underscore the importance of continued research and development in this area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200451"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145049305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring staff perspectives on mental health promotion and prevention in Flemish schools","authors":"Lies Sercu","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200450","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200450","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Background Mental disorders like anxiety and depression often emerge for the first time during adolescence. It is increasingly recognized that schools play an influential role in promoting adolescents’ mental health and well-being. Several theoretical frameworks have been proposed to classify school-based and healthcare-based interventions aimed at promoting well-being in adolescents. Against this theoretical background, this study aims to investigate Flemish staff’s descriptions and perspectives on schools’ approaches to preventing mental health problems and promoting well-being in 12–18-year-old students.</div><div>This study is an exploratory qualitative investigation among school staff from 12 Flemish schools, examining their views on school-based interventions.</div><div>Forty-eight interviewees participated in the study. For data analysis, an a priori approach was employed, utilizing one classification scheme’s categories to describe the schools’ activities <span><span>https://elsevier.proofcentral.com/en-us/landing-page.html?token=bad096ee90775280ce8bb5b44ab825(1)</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> and code staff perspectives thematically, developing a coding scheme that reflected the main topics and attitudes addressed for each classification.</div><div>Results demonstrate that staff perceive the schools as deploying very similar care activities, of which school-wide and individual approaches are constitutive parts. Promotion and prevention are necessary complementary components of a comprehensive school approach. While schools offer similar types of prevention and promotion activities, they differ significantly in who delivers them, ranging from teachers and psychologists to student counsellors and Student Guidance Centers. Teachers often feel that they lack the appropriate training to address students’ emotional, behavioral, or psychological difficulties, and they expect individual support from the school counselor or the external Center for Student Guidance.</div><div>Even if (ad hoc) promotion and prevention activities are in place, and school-external student guidance centers serve as hubs for students who need specialized mental health care, there is room for the development of more strategic proactive initiatives, and for the training of a future workforce that can deploy such school-based initiatives. While schools collect valuable data that could inform initiatives, there is a lack of designated staff trained to use this data to develop evidence-based, school-wide strategies. Strengthening collaboration between schools and Student Guidance Centers is essential to addressing these challenges effectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200450"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145003584","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using network analysis to identify risk and protective factors for mental health in LGBTQ+ youth","authors":"Hana-May Eadeh ,&nbsp;G. Nic Rider ,&nbsp;Samantha E. Lawrence ,&nbsp;Amy L. Gower ,&nbsp;Ryan J. Watson ,&nbsp;Ka I Ip ,&nbsp;Marla E. Eisenberg","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200449","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200449","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Youth with marginalized gender and sexual identities, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning youth (LGBTQ+) are at heightened risk for mental health concerns due to oppressive social contexts. To guide clinical practice and address health disparities for LGBTQ+ youth, researchers must identify central and influential risk and protective factors that have the greatest potential to affect mental health.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>Network analysis was used to model the complex relationships between risk factors, protective factors, mental health, and personal identities (gender, sexual, and racial and ethnic identities) among LGBTQ+ youth in a large statewide cross-sectional dataset from Minnesota (N = 24,400, <em>M</em>age = 14.77, <em>SD</em> = 1.30). Grade-stratified networks were analyzed using <em>qgraph</em> in RStudio with Graphical Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator model selection. Adjacency tables with correlations were used as the input data.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The three grade networks were similar in density and overall pattern of centrality metrics. Bias-based bullying variables, regardless of grade, and three substance use variables were central nodes across networks. School safety and empowerment were the protective factor variables with the highest expected influence values.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Results indicate that bias-based bullying has a significant impact on mental health and other risk factors, replicating previous studies. Implications for prevention of mental health concerns include reducing bias-based bullying and substance use, the importance of early and accurate identification of mental health concerns, and increasing protective factors early on.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200449"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144916958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-designing an active play parenting program to support emotion regulation in early childhood: Presenting user personas and program concepts","authors":"Kelsie Bufton ,&nbsp;Maria Bates ,&nbsp;Jasmin Hamid ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Westrupp","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200448","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200448","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Early childhood is a critical period for developing emotion regulation skills and parenting programs can support this development. However, existing programs often have limited population-level reach. The Active Play program aims to support emotion regulation in children aged 2–5 through play-based physical activity, and is delivered via the Daily Growth parenting app.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study describes the co-design process used to develop the Active Play program to ensure it is engaging, accessible, and relevant to diverse parent groups.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using the Design Mapping framework, the development process followed three iterative phases: (1) Understand – user personas were created based on qualitative interviews and refined in a co-design workshop with parents; (2) Co-Develop – an overarching program concept was developed through team ideation and co-design workshops, with strategies tailored to real-life parenting situations; and (3) Prototype – scripts for 30 short video-based resources were created and tested with parent end-users, and refined based on their feedback. A final co-design workshop with professionals helped translate co-designed strategies into scripts for video resources.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Four user personas were developed to capture diverse parent engagement styles with physical activity. Co-design workshops identified common barriers to program uptake and effectiveness, and generated user-informed solutions. These insights were integrated into a set of narration scripts for 30 video resources tailored to specific parenting challenges.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This paper demonstrates how collaborative design methods can be used to develop an evidence-based, user-centred digital parenting program. The co-design process ensured the Active Play program reflects parent needs, supports diverse families, and addresses common barriers to engagement. Future research will evaluate the program’s acceptability, engagement, and impact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200448"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145003585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring depressive symptoms in Peruvian older adults living in extreme poverty: A network analysis study","authors":"Aaron Travezaño-Cabrera ,&nbsp;Carolina Sofía Garofalo ,&nbsp;Lindsey W. Vilca","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to identify the most central depressive symptoms among Peruvian older adults living in extreme poverty and to assess whether the symptom network differs by age groups ad living places.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The data was collected in 2012 from the Survey of Health and Well-being of the Elderly by the INEI. The probabilistic sample was selected through a two-stage selection process, targeting households in 12 departments characterized by high poverty levels. Respondents were aged between 65 and 80 years and resided in both urban and rural areas (<em>N</em> = 3228). The network was estimated using the Ising model, which is appropriate for binary data. Node centrality was evaluated using the Strength index within the network and invariance was evaluated via permutation tests.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analysis identified dissatisfaction with life and sadness as the most central nodes, underscoring their critical influence within the depressive symptom structure. The robustness of these findings was confirmed by the precision and stability of the network in the bootstrapping procedures. Moreover, no significant differences were found when comparing networks by age groups and living places.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Life dissatisfaction and sadness consistently dominated the depressive symptom network among older adults living in extreme poverty, and the network structure remained invariant across age groups and living places.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200446"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144885389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Looking beyond the individual: The relative importance of neighbourhood socioeconomic status and the development of internalising symptoms across adolescence","authors":"Ainsley Furneaux-Bate ,&nbsp;Louise Birrell ,&nbsp;David Berle ,&nbsp;Nicola C. Newton ,&nbsp;Cath Chapman ,&nbsp;Tim Slade ,&nbsp;Louise Mewton ,&nbsp;Scarlett Smout ,&nbsp;Maree Teesson","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200445","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200445","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Mental disorders have considerable impact on individual and societal well-being, with peak onset during adolescence. This study explored the relationship between neighbourhood socioeconomic status and internalising symptom progression during adolescence.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>Longitudinal data from 1556 adolescents was taken from the control group of a cluster-randomised controlled trial of school-based prevention program for mental health and substance use. Measures assessed internalising symptoms (SDQ) across six time points from 13 to 16 years and the Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) was used to measure participants’ neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) at baseline. Latent class growth analysis was used to estimate different internalising symptom trajectories among adolescents. Multinomial logistic regression explored the relationship between SES and internalising trajectory class, controlling for covariates.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Four distinct trajectories of internalising symptoms were identified: Low stable (49 % of adolescents), Increasing (30.6 %), Decreasing (10 %), and High Increasing (10.2 %). Lower neighbourhood SES was associated with an increased likelihood of belonging to the High Increasing class relative to the Low Stable group. Additionally, female gender and baseline externalising symptoms were associated with an increased likelihood of belonging to all three elevated symptom trajectories compared to the low stable class, controlling for SES and other covariates.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The findings provide novel insight into the negative relationship between neighbourhood disadvantage on individual mental health trajectories, above and beyond individual factors, during adolescence. The findings have significant implications for social and economic policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200445"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144885388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"School mental health in India: The present scenario and future directions’","authors":"Sagarika Ray ,&nbsp;Amit Kumar Pal ,&nbsp;Partha Sarathi Kundu ,&nbsp;Shivani Santosh","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200444","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200444","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>India is home to one-fifth of the world’s adolescents and is confronting a pressing need to address the challenge of mental health problems among school-going children. With the increasing prevalence of anxiety, depression, substance use, and behavioral disorders in children, school-based mental health programs (SBMHPs) have become instrumental to primary prevention and early intervention.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This article aims to review the national and state-level school-based mental health initiatives in India, with a focus on their theoretical frameworks, and thematic categorization, along with identifying barriers in implementation, and providing actionable recommendations for the future.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A comprehensive literature search following the PRISMA guidelines was undertaken to ensure a structured approach. Given the broad scope of “school mental health programs in India,” we aimed to perform a scoping review of both academic and grey literature. Sources that described, reviewed, or evaluated a school-based mental health initiative in India were included in the review, ultimately relying on 150 sources.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Various theoretical models exist, like Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystem theory, Maslow’s need hierarchy, the health promotion viewpoint of the World Health Organization, Social-Emotional Learning Framework, and newer constructs like the PERMA and the Act-Belong-Commit models, based on which the operationalization of school mental health initiatives in India can be visualized. Further, such initiatives can also be grouped based on their key themes like, Curriculum-Based Life Skills and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs, Teachers’ training and capacity-building programs, Direct Counselling and Referral Services, Stigma reduction and awareness-enhancing programs, Holistic well-being and health-promotion in schools, Peer support and community engagement programs, Special needs and disability support in schools, and Digital and technology-based interventions. Several school-based mental health initiatives are currently operational in India, both at the national and individual state levels, including both Government and non-Government initiatives. A few such notable initiatives include the <span><span>National Education Policy 2020</span></span>, Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram, Adolescent Education Program, National and District Mental Health Programmes, and Ayushman Bharat, supported by state-specific models in various Indian states, which prioritize integration of mental health into education. These initiatives range from teacher intervention, appointing school counsellors, and resilience training, to digital platforms and mobile health units.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Though there are several school-based mental health programs in India, implementation is hampered by factors like stigma, workforce shortage, ","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 200444"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144895902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Voices from Gaza: Coping strategies during the war on the Gaza Strip- A qualitative study","authors":"Abdallah Abudayya","doi":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200443","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The Gaza Strip is facing unprecedented devastation, with widespread destruction of infrastructure, mass displacement, and a collapse of essential services amid ongoing war and genocide. In this context of profound trauma and humanitarian crisis. This study aims to raise the voice of innocent Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip under the current genocide and underline the coping strategies and mechanisms they have developed.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This qualitative study draws on daily personal communications conducted between October 2023 and April 2025 with displaced civilians, family members, healthcare workers, and friends in Gaza. Testimonies were gathered via mobile and social media platforms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Findings reveal a range of coping strategies, including community solidarity, religious and spiritual resilience, creative expression, informal psychosocial care for children, and peer support among healthcare workers. Caregiving and faith-based practices were framed by informants as forms of both emotional survival and political resistance. Healthcare workers, despite profound personal losses, continued to deliver critical medical and emotional support, embodying the Palestinian ethos of <em>sumud</em> (steadfastness). Education, storytelling, future-oriented conversations, and international solidarity also emerged as key resources sustaining emotional endurance.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>The study highlights how coping strategies in Gaza are deeply rooted in cultural values, collective identity, and moral resistance. Resilience is expressed not only through personal adaptation but through acts that assert dignity, humanity, and hope in the face of dehumanization. These findings underscore the need for trauma research and humanitarian responses that are context-sensitive, culturally embedded, and attuned to the lived experiences of civilians under genocide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55864,"journal":{"name":"Mental Health and Prevention","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article 200443"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852172","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}