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Browsing Refugee Research Network by Author "Ashraf, Abu bakar"
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Item Open Access The relationship between mothers’ mental health and the prevalence of depression and anxiety of preschool children after the war on Gaza Strip(Arab Journal of Psychiatry, 2014-05) Thabet, Abdelaziz; Ashraf, Abu bakar; Vostanis, PanosObjective: The present study investigated the prevalence of depression and anxiety among preschool children and relationship to mothers’ mental health. Participants: A sample of 380 preschool children aged 4-6 years with their mothers were selected from 24 kindergartens in the Gaza Strip. Method: Children were assessed by maternal reports for depression and anxiety; their mothers were assessed using the General Health Questionnaire-28. Results: Results showed the mean anxiety score for preschool children was 27.46, generalized anxiety mean was 3.42, social anxiety was 3.94, obsessive compulsive disorder was 4.92, physical injury fear was 10.47, and separation anxiety 4.94. No gender differences in showing anxiety symptoms except for physical injury fear which was greater in girls than boys. Anxiety problems were greater in children with low family income; no significant differences between the means of preschoolers’ anxiety problems according to type of residence or number of siblings. Mean depression was 33.10, mean lack of vitality and worthlessness was 12.98, mean loneliness and anxiety was 9.03, and mean anger and aggression 7.37. There were significant differences in depression for children with low family income although no significant differences according to type of residence. For mothers, mean total GHQ scale was 6.54, somatic symptoms was 1.80; mean anxiety and insomnia was 2.18, mean social dysfunction was 1.26, and severe depression was 1. Using 4/5 cut-off points, cases of mothers according to GHQ-28 were 185 (53.6%) and 160 (46.3%) were not cases. Conclusion: There was a significant positive correlation between mental health problems of mothers and subscales and depression and anxiety and subscales of their children.