DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2026.11648 ISSN: 0924-9338

Psychache, Coping Strategies, and Therapeutic Approaches Among Palestinian University Students During War

H. K. Yacoub, S. Sabbah, Z. Yacoub, R. Yacoub, R. R. Holden
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Introduction

The prolonged Gaza-Israeli war has profoundly impacted the psychological well-being of Palestinian university students, manifesting in elevated levels of psychache - an intense psychological pain marked by despair, humiliation, and helplessness. Despite its established link to suicidal ideation, the relationship between psychache and coping strategies during wartime remains underexplored. Palestinian students are uniquely vulnerable, living in a context of ongoing trauma, instability, and restricted access to mental health resources. The continuous exposure to war images, financial crisis, and fear for loved ones may disrupt their sense of security and increase their vulnerability to psychache, increasing the urgency for context-specific mental health assessment and intervention.

Objectives

This study aims to assess the prevalence and severity of psychache among Palestinian university students in the West Bank during the Gaza-Israeli war, and to identify the coping strategies employed.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 556 participants from various universities in the West Bank. Data were collected via online questionnaires, including the Psychache Scale, Orbach and Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale, and Coping Strategies Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA were used to analyze the data.

Results

Psychache Associations

-

Significantly related to: marital status, year of study, level, and specialization (p < 0.05)

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Not related to: gender, place of residence (p > 0.05)
Table 1.

Psychache levels among the sample

Table 1. Long description.

Scale
Mean
SD High Psychache Moderate Low
Psychache Scale
31.68
10.91 10.1% 41.2% 48.7%
Orbach & Mikulincer Scale
20.43 7.05 13.5% 38.8% 47.7%
Table 2.

Coping Strategies (Means and SD)

Table 2. Long description.

Strategy
Mean
SD
Catastrophizing
13.82
5.89
Diversion
19.34 6.36
Reinterpreting
16.52 5.92
Cognitive Coping
15.88 5.32
Table 3.

Correlations Between Variables

Table 3. Long description.

Variables
Psychache
Orbach Catastro. Diversion Reinterp. Cog. Coping
Psychache
—
0.71** 0.69** 0.32** 0.38** 0.26**
Orbach & Mikulincer Scale
— 0.71** 0.26** 0.46** 0.23**
Image 1:

Image 1: Long description.

Conclusions

The study underscores the critical need for targeted mental health interventions among university students during war situations. Enhanced coping strategies and mental health support tailored to students’ demographics and psychosocial context are essential for mitigating the impact of war on psychological well-being. Religious and cultural factors must be considered in mental health interventions, especially in societies like Palestine where faith-based coping is widely practiced. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence calling for culturally adapted mental health frameworks in conflict zones.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

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