Prolonged Exposure to Political Violence and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Palestinian Adults: The Moderating Roles of Age, Gender, and Perceptions of Social Capital

A well-established body of knowledge has highlighted the effects of exposure to prolonged political violence on the functioning of individuals and their mental health, yet little is known about the potential moderators of the association between exposure to political violence (EPV) and mental health outcomes. Aiming to fill this gap, the current study investigates the moderating role of perceptions of social capital (PSC), age, and gender of the associations between Palestinian adults’ exposure to prolonged political violence (EPPV) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). A large-scale survey was conducted among a systematic cluster and stratified random sample of 2934 Palestinian adults (age range: 30–67) from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, using a self-administered questionnaire. The findings show that level of EPPV is associated significantly with the level of PTSS (r =.216, p <.000). In addition, participants’ PSC serves as a moderator of the association between their EPPV and PTSS, by weakening the connection between EPPV and these symptoms (β = -.184; p <.000). Women had lower EPPV than men but had higher levels of PTSS. Research examining gender effects of EPPV could benefit from systematic developmental investigation of gender effects in adulthood in interaction with culture. Neither age nor gender moderated the relationship between EPPV and PTSS. The results of this study have implications for theory development and future research as well as for policy, prevention, and intervention that could strengthen social capital in the Palestinian population and mitigate mental health effects of EPPV. The limitations and implications of the study are discussed.