Screens of suffering: how Gaza war news impacts students' minds and motivation.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing war in Gaza has intensified media coverage of violence and human suffering, which may indirectly affect the psychological well-being and academic engagement of university students. This study investigates how tracking news of the Gaza assault impacts the mental health and academic motivation of Palestinian university students. Specifically, it examines whether depression and anxiety mediate the relationship between media exposure and motivation, identifies overall levels of these variables, and explores demographic influences. METHODS: This sequential mixed-methods study involved Palestinian university students. The qualitative phase included semi-structured Zoom interviews with 15 students to explore their engagement with news about the Gaza assault. Thematic analysis identified key themes used to develop the Tracking Gaza Assault News Scale (TGANS). In the quantitative phase, a cross-sectional survey was administered to 624 students using stratified sampling. RESULTS: Tracking Gaza assault news (TGANS) significantly predicted higher depression and anxiety levels, which in turn negatively affected academic motivation. Both depression (β = - 0.206, p < .05) and anxiety (β = - 0.232, p < .05) mediated the relationship between TGANS and motivation. TGANS also had a direct negative effect on motivation (β = - 0.172, p < .01), with a significant total effect (β = - 0.422, p < .001). Students reported moderate TGANS (M = 3.00), high depression (M = 3.84), low anxiety (M = 2.86), and high motivation (M = 4.08). Females reported higher depression and anxiety than males. Humanities students had higher TGANS, while science students showed greater motivation. Advanced academic years correlated with worse mental health and lower motivation. Students from camps and those bereaved by martyrdom reported higher TGANS, distress, and lower motivation. Watching news for over an hour daily was linked to elevated TGANS and anxiety. CONCLUSION: Media coverage of the Gaza war constitutes a secondary form of trauma for many Palestinian university students, contributing to deteriorating mental health and academic disengagement. These findings underscore the need for mental health support and resilience-based interventions in university settings during ongoing conflict.