Sources of Functioning, Symptoms of Trauma, and Psychological Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study With Palestinian Health Workers Operating in West Bank and Gaza Strip

Health-care workers operating in conflict zones are at severe risk of psychological consequences, given their extended exposure to traumatic events under conditions of stress and violence. This quantitative, cross-sectional study was designed to explore the relationships between personal resources (sources of functioning)— operationalized as sense of coherence, posttraumatic growth, and perceived well-being—psychological distress, and trauma symptoms in a specific population of health workers exposed to war and violence. Palestinian health professionals (N 181) completed quantitative measures of well-being, posttraumatic growth, sense of coherence, psychological distress, and traumatic response. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The outcomes suggest that sources of psychological functioning consistently play a role in the mental health of different types of health professionals. Health-care workers in an environment characterized by instability and ongoing risk need to protect their own mental health by mobilizing sources of resistance and resilience, such as a sense of coherence, subjective well-being, and growth. We discuss the clinical implications of these findings and offer recommendations for training and supervision.