Refugee status does not influence the degree of distress in itself, but refugees seem to follow the trend of the population in the geographical area they belong to. Living in camps does not make a difference in itself either. However, people in rural camps in the West Bank report higher degrees of distress than others do. Table 4.16 Geographical area, refugee status, camp residency and degree of distress. A low educational level and a low economic status relate to high levels of distress.
Educational level is measured in terms of years of education.
Arrest of Household Member and Serious Injury of Child. About 1 out of 3 respondents have a household member who has been arrested. Interestingly, the difference is significant only among men, possibly because more men than women are arrested. Several of these may, in fact, be among the respondents. Table 4.17 Possible effects of trauma of arrest of household member on degree of psychological distress.