Depression, Perceived Health, and Right-of-Return Hopefulness of Palestinian Refugees

PurposeDisplacement is traumatic and often an unwanted social change that can lead to a loss of identity and socioeconomic, physical, and psychological livelihood. The purpose of the study was to describe the association of perceived health and right-of-return hopefulness to depressive symptom severity in Palestinian refugees, taking into consideration gender and poverty. DesignThe descriptive, correlational study was framed within a socioecological lens. Data collection occurred between October 2015 and November 2015 in Amman, Jordan, which hosts the most Palestinian refugees in the world. The participants in the sample (N = 177) had a mean age of 36.9 years. MethodsParticipants responded to the Patient Health Questionnaire for depressive symptom severity, the RAND-36 perceived health item, and a statement about hopefulness to return to Palestine. Descriptive, correlation, and logistic and linear regression analyses were computed. FindingsResults showed that 43% of participants had moderate to severe depressive symptoms, 42% lived in poverty, and 20% had fair or poor health; yet, 60% were hopeful about returning to Palestine. Participants who had better perceived health and right-of-return hopefulness were less likely to have symptoms of major depression. Perceived health was the only factornot gender, poverty, or right-of-return hopefulnessthat explained the variance in depressive symptoms. ConclusionsPalestinian adult refugees in Jordan exhibited symptoms of major depression that were associated with poorer perceived health and less hopefulness about repatriation to Palestine. Clinical RelevanceNurses with community or mental health specialization can play a major role by systematically screening refugees for depression using worldwide, evidence-based tools and by advocating for policies that can improve the health and living conditions of refugees.