Mental health and psychosocial challenges facing adolescent girls in conflict-affected settings : the case of the Gaza strip

الملخص EN

Objective: This article focuses on linkages between adolescent girls’ psychosocial wellbeing and socio-cultural norms in conflict-affected contexts, with a focus on the Gaza Strip.

Methods: Drawing on qualitative research undertaken with adolescent girls, their caregivers and service providers following the 2014 Gaza-Israeli War, it explores adolescent experiences and psycho-emotional responses, and the extent to which their vulnerabilities were addressed by programing interventions.

Results: Our findings highlight that the conflict worsened adolescent girls’ multi-dimensional psychosocial vulnerabilities, among a population already suffering from a prolonged humanitarian crisis and limited available coping responses.

We argue that programs interventions tended to focus primarily on younger children, while largely overlooking adolescents and their specific age- and gender-related vulnerabilities.

Conclusion: These shortcomings must be addressed to better support adolescent girls’ psychosocial wellbeing and resilience, and that a stronger focus on adolescents’ evolving developmental needs - including the interplay of gendered social norms - urgently need to inform programing responses in conflict-affected contexts.