Unlike their counterparts in other countries, Palestinian psychologists have always faced the problem of legitimacy, accreditation and certification. The psychologists services in Palestine have passed through difficulties periods caused by the ongoing political and economic crises, the burgeoning needs of the public and the upheavals the Palestinian people have experienced over the last fifty decades and more. These services began in Jerusalem, and Bethlehem areas and continued there for a considerable period of time. Bethlehem Mental Health Hospital was the only facility to provide mental health services to people suffering from mental illnesses. However, due to the natural increase of the population and the complication of the political conflict, the hospital began to suffer from overcrowdedness and the increase of chronic mental health cases, thus making it tremendously difficult for it to offer good mental health services. In addition, mental health has had a bad image in the Palestinian society, thus making it very challenging for the psychologist to market his/her services. Psychologists were the last resort for families of mental health patients. For centuries, the Palestinian people practiced traditional methods to treat mental health problems. In other words, modern methods of treatment based on scientific research, were very rare. Studies conducted locally, on the mental conditions have found an increasing feeling that the mental health of the people of all age groups is deteriorating at alarming rates.

This current state of affairs has forced the professional psychologists give more effort and show more interest to face the events. As a result, mental health services expanded. The private and public sectors began to recognize the role of the psychologists. Training programs in psychological counseling expanded the field to provide social support to family members and individuals to endure and survive the difficult situation.

Due to the second intifada violent events, the two sectors provided all kinds of social and psychological support to the increasing number of physically and mentally disabled people. More training courses were held to enrich psychologists’ experiences and make them much better prepared to provide quality services to their clients. There was also a horizontal expansion in the number of psychologists. In 1991, there were only 12 psychologists providing services to more than 1.5 million people ! since then, the number has been increasing dramatically.

The attitude towards the profession has changed. A new trend of counseling has emerged: community-based counseling for mental health services. However, the psychiatrist still occupies a central role in the field of mental health services. At present, community services are gradually associated with primary health care of services. The paper will touch on the following topics: mental health services at Bethlehem Hospital ( then and now ), image of mental illness and wrong perception/attitude towards psychology major, community health services and psychologists' services in the education sector, events of the two intifadas, effects of studies and research, difficulties and challenges facing psychologists in the field and the Psychologists Law for Licensing and Practice of the Profession.

Title

مجلة جامعة النجاح للأبحاث - العلوم الإنسانية

Publisher

An-Najah National University

Publisher Country

Palestine

Publication Type

Prtinted only

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