Exposure to War-Related Stress and Suicidal Ideation: The Moderating Role of Interpersonal and Political Trust

Exposure to war-related stress is associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation, yet the role of different domains of trust under conditions of ongoing collective threat remains insufficiently understood. This study examined the association between exposure to war-related stress and suicidal ideation and tested whether interpersonal, political, and institutional trust moderated this association. Participants were 367 adults living under ongoing war-related conditions in Israel who completed self-report measures of exposure to war-related stress, trust, and suicidal ideation. Greater exposure to war-related stress was associated with higher suicidal ideation. Interpersonal trust was associated with lower suicidal ideation, whereas political and institutional trust were not. Moderation analyses showed domain-specific effects: interpersonal trust buffered the association between exposure and suicidal ideation, such that the association weakened and became non-significant at higher levels of interpersonal trust. In contrast, political trust strengthened this association, with higher exposure more strongly associated with suicidal ideation among individuals reporting higher political trust. Institutional trust showed no significant main or moderating effects. Findings suggest that trust domains play distinct roles in suicidal ideation during war. Interpersonal trust may be protective, whereas political trust may be associated with increased vulnerability under conditions of exposure to war-related stress.