JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

On 20 December 2024, an attack occurred at the Magdeburg Christmas market, during which a vehicle was intentionally driven into a crowd of civilians. Mass violence incidents like this represent a critical public health issue, as they entail not only immediate physical harm but also acute and enduring psychosocial consequences. 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.

Objective:

This study aims to help fill this gap by conducting an integrated, longitudinal analysis of psycho-social, mental health and somatic burdens, as well as the provision of psychosocial care following the incident.

Methods:

The MD-Care study is a longitudinal epidemiological study examining the psychosocial impact of the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market. This includes the assessment of psychosocial burdens and mental health complaints, the investigation of individuals’ resources and protective factors as well as the evaluation of mental health service utilization and support needs. Affected individuals (e.g. victims, witnesses, first responders, relatives and acquaintances, health care professionals) as well as unaffected individuals could take part in the study. Data is collected via LimeSurvey at three time points: three-, six-, and 15-months after the attack.

Results:

The baseline survey (t1) comprises 336 participants, of whom 131 were directly affected by the attack. The 3-month-follow up survey (t2) was completed by 256 (76.2%) of the participants.

Conclusions:

The longitudinal MD-Care study will produce a comprehensive database, providing detailed insights into the personal circumstances and psychosocial care of individuals directly (e.g. victims, on-site witnesses) and indirectly (relatives and acquaintances, first responders, medical or psychosocial staff) affected by the Magdeburg Christmas market attack. Comparative analyses with non-affected individuals are also possible. By examining both risk and protective factors and identifying unmet support needs, the study will help improve psychosocial interventions and emergency mental health responses. This adds a notable contribution to public health research, especially in the contexts of mass trauma.