Gender Differences in Sense of Coherence, Perceived Social Support, and Negative Emotions Among Drug-Abstinent Israeli Inmates

This study examines gender differences in the sense of coherence, perceived social support, and negative emotions among drug-abstinent Israeli inmates. One hundred nineteen inmates have participated in this study (65 men and 54 women). The findings indicate that among female inmates, abstinence of more than a year is related to a decrease in sense of coherence and to an increase in their perceived friend support. In contrast, among male inmates, abstinence of more than a year is related to an increase in sense of coherence and no change at all in their perceived friend support. In addition, hostility level is lower and sense of coherence is higher when the length of abstinence exceeds a year among male inmates. In contrast, among female inmates hostility level is higher when the sense of coherence is lower, without any connection to the length of abstinence. The implications of these findings to treatment intervention are discussed.