In a systematic literature analysis, psychological research conducted since the end of the Cold War on people’s responses to the threat of nuclear weapons is examined. The aim is to provide an evidence-based overview of how perception, emotion, and behavior in the face of nuclear risks have been studied—offering insights relevant to education, media, and political communication in times of growing global uncertainty. More than three decades after the last comprehensive reviews of psychological responses to nuclear threats, there is a renewed need to assess the current state of research. The analysis investigates which topics and questions have been addressed, which methods have been applied, and to what extent a coherent research community has developed. The literature review is based on a systematic search in Web of Science and SCOPUS. Out of more than 18,000 identified publications, 256 met the criteria for detailed evaluation. These studies were analyzed with regard to publication trends, author networks, sampling strategies, and measurement instruments. The findings indicate a re-emerging but still weakly connected field of research. A coherent research community has not yet fully formed, and many studies remain isolated efforts with limited generalizability. At the same time, increasing methodological diversity and growing scholarly interest in the societal relevance of nuclear threats can be observed. Overall, the results provide a foundation for future research on global threat perception and its communication in educational and public contexts.