Palestinian mental health workers voicing tensions and transformations: Challenging complexities of colonial violence while working for healing and justice on the frontline.

Authors

Hana R Masud

Published in

American journal of community psychology. Jul 28, 2026. Epub Jul 28, 2026.

Abstract

The experiences of Palestinian mental health professionals are particularly important because they occur while these professionals are working on the frontlines of healing and justice. Understanding their perspectives is essential for addressing the complexities of colonial violence and its profound impact on mental health in the occupied Palestinian territory. While existing research highlights the general mental health challenges faced by Palestinians, a gap remains in understanding how community health workers perceive the recovery journey as a process of decolonization, and how they support authentic recovery that empowers Palestinians. This study aims to explore the self-reported experiences and perspectives of Palestinian community health workers, focusing on their understanding of the recovery journey as a process of decolonization that requires critical awareness of internalized oppression. Employing qualitative methods, including semistructured interviews, this research examines how these workers strive to support authentic recovery journeys that empower Palestinians to challenge structural violence and reclaim their political subjectivity. Key findings highlight three central themes: (A) Being in contradiction, (B) professional schizophrenia, and (C) swallowing the oppression. These findings suggest a need to re-evaluate current approaches to mental health care in Palestine to address the specific challenges faced by community mental health workers and promote decolonized approaches to recovery. This article makes a significant contribution to Community Psychology by: Restricted mobility under occupation impacts qualitative research and data access. Radical research engaged participants in decolonial praxis, fostering critical self-reflection. Findings challenge colonial mental health models and center indigenous healing under occupation. Research disrupts Eurocentric psychology, advancing decolonial approaches for oppressed communities. Participants co-created decolonial mental health sites rooted in lived resistance.

PMID:
42520288
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Jul 2026.

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