Mental health professionals working in the territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are helping to care for people who have endured the stress of living under Israeli occupation for decades. David McAuley and colleagues are helping local nurses to expand their knowledge and dispel the stigma attached to mental illness

The occupied Palestinian Territories consist of two areas of land that are separated by the state of Israel which is the occupying power. This has been the position since the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. The areas of land are referred to as the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Geographically these areas are quite small and the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with over 3,000 people per square kilometre. The population of the West Bank is just under two million (126,000 live in refugee camps) and the population of the Gaza Strip is 1,262,000 (500,000 live in refugee camps). The population is very young; 75 per cent are under 30 years of age. It is estimated that 60 per cent of the population are living at, or under, the poverty line of US 2.1$ per day; in Gaza this rises to 75 per cent.