STUDY PROTOCOL article
Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Anxiety and Stress Disorders
Psychological Function in the Context of Protracted Stress During War: A Multi-Sample, Multivariate Longitudinal Study
Yaakov Greenwald 1
Dana Katsoty 1
Dema Abu-Raya 1
Sharon Cayzer-Haller 1
Noa Levy 1
Tamar Machlev 1
Nitzan Shoham 1
Maya Benish-Weisman 1
Ella Daniel 2
Shaul Oreg 1
Noga Sverdlik 3
Ariel Knafo-Noam 1
1. Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
2. Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
3. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
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Abstract
Continuous traumatic stress has wide-ranging implications for important life outcomes across multiple domains. We present the design protocol from the first waves of one of the most comprehensive studies of the impact of one pervasive continuous traumatic stress context— war—on individuals. In this ongoing project we have been collecting quantitative and qualitative data on psychological function, risk, and resilience at different levels of influence and at various junctures during the ongoing 2023-2025 Hamas-Israel war from three samples (total N=16,330). We present this large-scale, multi-sample, multivariate, mixed-method, longitudinal study, and showcase select, preliminary findings at different levels of analysis and in different samples (e.g., concerning war exposure, trust in institutions, and well-being). We document the design, scope, and future trajectory of the project, encouraging interdisciplinary, cross-border collaborations among researchers across diverse fields. This is important not only for understanding responses to the current conflict, but also for understanding risk and resilience in other conflict-affected regions and among populations facing continuous traumatic stress more broadly.
Summary
Keywords
Psychological function, resilience, risk, stress, Trauma, War
Received
21 October 2025
Accepted
29 December 2025
Copyright
© 2025 Greenwald, Katsoty, Abu-Raya, Cayzer-Haller, Levy, Machlev, Shoham, Benish-Weisman, Daniel, Oreg, Sverdlik and Knafo-Noam. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Yaakov Greenwald; Ariel Knafo-Noam
Disclaimer
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