Psychological function in the context of protracted stress during war: a multi-sample, multivariate longitudinal study

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.