ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1678100
Unpacking Resilience: Exploring the Link Between Dissociative Responses and Psychological Resilience in War-Affected Palestinians
Provisionally accepted
- 1Al Quds University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Palestine
- 2Al-Quds University, Abu Dis, Palestine
- 3Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
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Abstract: Introduction: Peritraumatic dissociation (PD) is a psychological response to trauma involving disruptions in awareness, memory, and identity. While PD is associated with adverse outcomes such as PTSD, the role of resilience in shaping dissociative experiences remains underexplored, particularly in conflict-affected populations. Objective: To examine the relationship between peritraumatic dissociation and psychological resilience among Palestinians exposed to war-related trauma. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 623 Palestinian participants from Gaza, the West Bank, and Israeli-controlled areas during the December 2024 Gaza-Israel war. Peritraumatic dissociation was assessed using the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ), and resilience was measured using the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). Linear and multiple linear regression analyses were used to assess relationships and predictors. Results Participants demonstrated moderate levels of both PD (M = 28.31, SD = 8.44) and resilience (M = 32.38, SD = 8.92). Regression analysis revealed a significant positive association between resilience and PD (β = 0.404, p < 0.001). Females reported significantly higher PD levels than males, while higher education was associated with greater resilience. A history of mental illness predicted both higher dissociation and lower resilience. Conclusion: Contrary to expectations, resilience was positively correlated with peritraumatic dissociation, suggesting a complex relationship between psychological endurance and acute dissociative responses. Rather than indicating an adaptive role for dissociation, the findings may reflect the intensity of trauma exposure among resilient individuals in conflict zones.
Keywords: peritraumatic dissociation, resilience, War trauma, dissociative symptoms, Mental Health inArmed Conflict
Received: 01 Aug 2025; Accepted: 29 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yacoub, Sabbah, Yacoub, Yacoub, Sabbah, Yasin and Ghannam. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hamzeh Yacoub, hamzehkifah8@gmail.com
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