Institutional betrayal and posttraumatic adaptation among Nova festival survivors following the 7 October 2023 attack

Background: On 7 October 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale surprise attack on Israel that included a mass-casualty assault on the Nova music festival, in which hundreds of attendees were murdered or abducted. While emerging research has documented survivors’ early responses, less is known about their longer-term adaptation.Objective: This study examined Nova festival survivors’ retrospective accounts of posttraumatic adaptation approximately 18 months after the attack, focusing on institutional responses, recovery resources, and perceived positive change under conditions of ongoing threat.Method: This phenomenologically informed study included 15 adult Nova survivors. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Initial coding was primarily inductive and semantic, while continuous traumatic stress, institutional betrayal, recovery capital, and posttraumatic growth were used as interpretive lenses during later analysis.Results: Three interrelated themes emerged: multidimensional vulnerability, recovery resources, and perceived positive changes. Across all themes, personal agency was reflected in survivors’ efforts to mobilise resources and actively shape their adaptation.Conclusions: Institutional betrayal emerged as an ongoing secondary injury, whereas survivor-led peer communities served as a key source of recovery capital. The findings underscore the importance of institutional trust and community-based support following collective trauma.