Exploring the long-term psychological impact of socio-political crisis in Israel: a network analysis

This study explores the psychological effects of a socio-political crisis on right-wing versus left/center parties following the 2022 elections in Israel, amidst a proposed judicial reform. It specifically examines differences in psychological measures, such as stress disorder symptoms, positive affect, attitudes toward government actions, and health-related behaviors, along with internal resources-self-mastery, hope, and resilience-among participants affiliated with these political orientations across two distinct time-points. A diverse sample of Israeli citizens (811 individuals at Time 1 and 518 individuals at Time 2) completed self-report questionnaires. A network analysis was employed to observe how the abovementioned psychological measures and internal resources interacted within each group over time. Significant differences were observed in stress disorder symptoms, positive affect, feelings toward government actions, and health-related behaviors between right-wing and left/center participants, although these differences diminished over time. Within the right-wing network, self-mastery and hope played pivotal roles. In contrast, associations with self-mastery, perceived threat exposure, and health-related behaviors among left/center participants decreased over time. The findings underscore the profound psychological toll of socio-political crises on individuals, regardless of political affiliation. They highlight the need for targeted public mental health support during periods of social unrest, recognizing that psychological responses may vary depending on individuals' political ideologies.