🧠 The war in Iran is causing a ripple effect of psychological distress in the region. Beyond the immediate destruction caused by the US and Israel’s bombardment of Iran and Southern Lebanon, a psychological crisis is brewing in the countries ancillary to the conflict. Across the region, fear and anxiety are takinghold as people brace themselves for what comes next. Even in historically stable countries like the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, the psychological consequences of uncertainty are beginning to pierce a lifestyle often defined by a frictionless existence.

The sudden specter of violence is dismantling the predictability that defines life in the Gulf. Residents in these countries, typically shielded from the blowback of regional conflict, are now facing a profound shock as missile strikes loom near. “One of the first things that happens when there is a war, even if we are not in the heart of it, is that we lose that sense of control, predictability, and safety,” Cairo-based counseling psychologist Noureen Ben Halim tells us. In her own practice, she has seen a big jump in cases of anxiety and depression in the past three years — and it has only gotten worse in the past month.

The lack of control and predictability has pushed many into survival mode. “Our nervous system remains in a state of hypervigilance, constantly scanning for the next major event to unfold even in the absence of an immediate physical threat,” Sara El Miniawi, a psychologist at the Nafsology Psychology Center in Dubai, explains.

Resilience levels in the face of regional volatility are dictated by an individual’s personal history with instability. In the UAE’s diverse expat landscape, those from countries with a history of upheaval, such as Lebanon, Palestine, or Ukraine, often exhibit a higher threshold for tolerating uncertainty because they are accustomed to navigating crises. In contrast, residents from more stable countries are experiencing a more acute sense of distress and are reaching out for mental health support, according to El Miniawi.

Vicarious trauma is becoming a defining mental health challenge for people not directly exposed to combat. The impact of witnessing conflict through digital channels can be debilitating for sensitive individuals, Ben Halim says. “When we are in this place where we don't have safety or control, we tend to catastrophize, believing we are next. This phenomenon is often accompanied by a profound sense of homelessness, particularly for expats who feel that their adopted sanctuary in the Gulf is no longer a permanent [haven],” explains Ben Halim.

The anxiety is exacerbated by a constant need to stare at screens. This chronic state of fight or flight, triggered by continuous exposure to scenes of destruction, is increasingly manifesting as physical symptoms, including insomnia, poor concentration, and chronic anxiety. “It creates more than just a brief fight or flight moment, it’s a very prolonged anxious state that you might be experiencing for however long you want to scroll on your phone,” El Miniawi says.

… and we’re simply not built for this kind of informational onslaught. There’s a fundamental mismatch between our ancient biological wiring and the modern digital landscape. “Our fight or flight system is very effective when it’s in the short term. The problem is being in a permanent fight or flight state,” she adds. Processing these difficult images is, on a psychological level, similar to being in a warzone, and the consequences can range from chronic stress to your brain opting for a complete emotional shutdown or desensitization, according to Ben Halim.

The rise of AI-generated misinformation on social media adds a new dimension of complication to an already tense situation. The constant stream of unverified, AI-influenced videos and reports makes it difficult for people to find a grounded reality. Clinically, therapists are now forced to help patients check the validity of the information they consume as a core part of anxiety management, which is a relatively new frontier in regional psychological practice, El Miniawi explains.

A trauma-filled upbringing is compounding the impact for Gen Z, who view this war as the latest in a series of life-altering crises. For young adults in their early to mid-20s, the conflict in Iran follows a childhood and adolescence marked by the Arab Spring, Covid-19, and global economic uncertainty. Anxiety levels in this demographic have skyrocketed as they struggle to plan for a future that feels fundamentally precarious, according to Ben Halim.

Best practices for managing this unique kind of anxiety focus on reclaiming control and fostering community. When the big picture is unpredictable, psychologists advise patients to focus on specific aspects of their lives within their immediate control.

• Establish media boundaries: Ben Halim emphasizes the need for strict limits on news consumption, suggesting that every person must identify when “their nervous system says enough is enough;”
• Nervous system regulation: El Miniawi utilizes tools to “calm the nervous system,” such as breathwork and physical grounding, to signal to the brain that there is no immediate danger;
• Combat isolation: Ben Halim notes that people tend to isolate during difficult times, but connection is actually the “number one coping mechanism” for survival;
• Parental anchoring: Parents are encouraged to maintain routines for children who may have to be homeschooled and to form emotional anchors that provide a sense of safety regardless of external chaos.