Post-traumatic stress in Israeli civilians following the October 7th attack: The roles of personality and resilience

Aims: Following the unprecedented trauma and grief of the October 7 attacks and ensuing political violence, the Israeli population continues to experience significant psychological distress, the full scope of which is still being defined. Against this backdrop, the present study examined how personality traits and personal resilience contribute to post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among Israeli civilians. Methods: A total of 636 Israeli adults completed self-report measures assessing trauma exposure, personality traits, personal resilience, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Results: Findings revealed high rates of probable PTSD, with 38.7% of participants falling within the clinical range. Greater trauma exposure was associated with more severe symptoms. Higher levels of neuroticism and lower personal resilience emerged as significant risk factors. Conclusions: The findings highlight the substantial mental health impact of the October 7 attacks and ensuing political violence, as well as the importance of accounting for individual differences when developing targeted interventions to support psychological recovery following collective trauma.