Psychological Distress, Resources, and Coping Strategies Among Evacuees and Non-Evacuees From an Armed Conflict Zone: A Network Analysis

Abstract

This study focuses on two groups: evacuees from Israel's southern and northern frontline communities following the October 7th Hamas attack, and individuals from regions not directly threatened. Using network analysis, we identified key associations and central nodes related to stress indicators (i.e., exposure to traumatic life events, physical health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression) as well as personal resources (i.e., self-mastery and meaning in life), and coping strategies. The study included 221 evacuees and 145 non-evacuees (controls), recruited via iPanel, Israel's leading online research panel. Participants completed standardised self-report questionnaires. Evacuees exhibited higher levels of anxiety, depression, and traumatic life events, than did controls. Additionally, evacuees showed higher levels of problem-focused coping and a greater sense of meaning in life, along with lower physical health-related quality of life. Network analysis revealed that both groups had four sub-networks: 'personal state', 'psychological distress', 'resources', and 'coping'. However, the sub-networks' composition varied. Both groups shared similar sub-networks for 'coping' and 'personal state', but differed in 'psychological distress' and 'resources'. For the controls, dysfunctional coping strategies were part of 'psychological distress', whereas for evacuees, they were included in 'resources'. Additionally, meaning in life was more central among the controls, influencing the interaction between coping mechanisms, personal states, and psychological distress. For evacuees, physical health-related quality of life was more closely associated with the absence of negative factors-(i.e., anxiety, depression, traumatic experiences, and lower self-mastery)-rather than the presence of adaptive coping strategies and meaning in life. These differences highlight the vulnerability of evacuees and the central role of personal resources. Targeted interventions that foster resources such as self-mastery and meaning in life are vital for coping with the psychological distress associated with forced displacement.

Keywords: armed conflict zone; coping strategies; evacuees/displaced persons; network analysis; psychological distress; resources.

FIGURE 1

Heatmap of Winsorized Pearson correlations between all study measures (N = 366).

FIGURE 2

(a) Network analysis among the evacuee group. Different node colours represent significant sub‐networks. Blue edges (i.e., paths) reflect positive associations, whereas red edges reflect negative associations. The edges' distance, width, and colour intensity represent their relative strength. (b) Network analysis among the control group. Different node colours represent significant sub‐networks. Blue edges (i.e., paths) reflect positive associations, whereas red edges reflect negative associations. The edges' distance, width, and colour intensity represent their relative strength.

FIGURE 3

Centrality scores of the network analysis of the evacuee and control groups. A = Evacuees; B = controls (non‐evacuees).