Gendered Perceptions of Threat and Challenge during Regional Conflict: A Multi-generational Study of Holocaust Survivors and Descendants

Gender differences in wellbeing and trauma response have been a significant focus of psychological research, particularly among populations that have experienced extreme stressors, such as Holocaust survivors and their offspring. This study aims to explore the psychological impact of the “sense of threat” and “sense of challenge” experienced during the war in the 7 October aftermath (2023), with a specific emphasis on gender differences across different generations affected by the Holocaust. The study utilized a cross-sectional design to analyze secondary data. Research data were collected during the war in the 7 October aftermath. A total of 120 individuals, from three Holocaust cohorts (survivors, second-generation, and third generation) participated. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, as well as perceptions of threat and challenge, were gathered using the Stress, Appraisal, and Coping Questionnaire developed as reported by Lazarus and Folkman (Springer, New York, 1984). Females report a higher mean score (M = 3.36) for “sense of threat” compared with males (M = 2.85). Conversely, for the “sense of challenge,” although females exhibit a slightly higher mean score (M = 2.54) than males (M = 2.49), there was no statistically significant difference. The trauma of the Holocaust continues to afflict survivors and their descendants and is particularly pronounced during periods of extreme stress, such as war. Females exhibited an elevated “sense of threat” compared with males, which increases with each subsequent generation. Such insights stress the critical importance of incorporating a gender perspective in the design of interventions aimed at supporting trauma survivors.