Gendered networks of psychological adaptation under prolonged war

Understanding how men and women navigate profound, prolonged adversity is central to human resilience. Drawing on frameworks of masculine norms and emotion regulation, and moving beyond traditional mean-level comparisons, this exploratory, cross-sectional study used a network approach to examine gender differences in the structural organization of traumatic life events, stress symptoms, health-related quality of life, meaning in life, and coping strategies during prolonged war.

We assessed 313 Israeli adults (Mean age = 43.49, SD = 14.13; 51% women) via self-report questionnaires. Network analyses compared self-identified men and women across structural topology, community organization, centrality, and predictability.

The primary Network Comparison Test detected no statistically significant difference between men and women in overall network structure or global strength. No individual edge or node-centrality difference survived correction for multiple comparisons. Secondary analyses nevertheless identified more localized differences in selected aspects of topology, community organization, bridge connectivity, and predictability. Specifically, the women's network showed higher density and local clustering, and dysfunctional coping differed in its community placement and cross-community connectivity, whereas the men's network showed higher mean node predictability. These secondary findings describe localized features within networks that remained comparable at the global level and should be interpreted as exploratory, cross-sectional evidence.

These structural observations outline suggestive patterns that warrant confirmation in future longitudinal samples, rather than serving as direct bases for clinical protocols. Formulated as hypotheses for future research, the men's integrated networks suggest that single, coping-focused interventions might be associated with broader changes across symptoms. In contrast, the women's modular networks suggest a potential need for multi-targeted approaches incorporating broader social resources. Ultimately, these descriptive findings highlight the value of gender-sensitive frameworks for understanding psychological adaptation to chronic collective threats.