Exploring gendered responses to trauma: Network analysis of adjustment, sleeping, and eating disturbances during...

Populations exposed to prolonged conflict and large-scale traumatic events often experience significant psychological and behavioral consequences. This study examines gender differences in trauma responses following exposure to severe stressors, focusing on adjustment and behavioral dysregulation.

Using network analysis, we explored the relationships between trauma exposure, emotional mental health outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), behavioral disturbances (e.g., sleeping, night eating syndrome, and emotional eating), and adjustment difficulties in a sample of 486 participants (47% male, 53% female, mean age = 39.99, and SD = 10.55).

Our findings revealed significant gender differences: Women exhibited higher levels of night eating, sleeping problems, stress, emotional eating, adjustment difficulties, and PTSD compared to men who reported higher levels of direct exposure to traumatic events. Network analysis highlighted distinct gender-specific emotional-psychological networks: In women, PTSD and adjustment difficulties played a more central role, whereas in men, direct exposure was more influential. PTSD and anxiety symptoms were rigidly connected in women, suggesting a more systemic relationship between these symptoms.

These results underscore the need for network-informed interventions that address the unique structural and behavioral consequences of trauma. By identifying key anchors and stressors within gender-specific networks, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of systemic dysregulation and informs targeted mental health interventions aimed at destabilizing the trauma network. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).