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On Friday, December 20, 2024 a man deliberately drove a car into the crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. Mass attacks on humans represent a critical public health issue, as they entail not only immediate physical harm but also profound and enduring psychosocial consequences (DiMaggio & Galea, 2006; Salguero et al., 2011). These attacks can significantly compromise mental health, disrupt social functioning, and place considerable strain on the healthcare and support systems of affected individuals, but also on the broader community (García-Vera et al., 2016; Wesemann et al., 2022).
Despite existing research, longitudinal data on the psychosocial consequences of events like the Magdeburg Christmas Market attack, particularly regarding risk and protective factors, remain scarce. This study aims to address this gap by conducting an integrated, longitudinal analysis of psychosocial distress, individual resources, and the provision of psychosocial care following the mass attack. By identifying unmet support needs and gaps in psychosocial care, this study contributes to the advancement of evidence-based psychosocial interventions and provides practice-oriented insights for improving emergency mental health response in the context of mass trauma.