Israeli Study: More Than Half a Million Settlers Require Psychological Treatment as War Triggers an Unprecedented Mental Health Crisis
Hebrew Reports Reveal Sharp Rise in PTSD and Anxiety Among Soldiers and Civilians Amid Warnings That the Consequences Will Persist for Years
NYN | Reports and Analyses
A study and a series of reports by mental health specialists in Israel have revealed a deepening psychological crisis resulting from the war that has continued since October 2023, with an unprecedented increase in the number of military personnel and civilians requiring psychological treatment and mental health support.
According to the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz, the consequences of the war have extended far beyond the battlefield, profoundly affecting daily life as rates of mental health disorders—particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression—continue to rise.
The data show that the number of individuals suffering from psychological disorders among cases monitored by the Rehabilitation Department of Israel’s Ministry of Defense has increased from approximately 11,000 cases before the outbreak of the war to nearly 31,000 cases at present. Meanwhile, the total number of rehabilitation files handled by the department has grown from 62,000 to around 87,000.
More Than Half a Million Receiving Mental Health Care
According to Israeli estimates, more than 435,000 settlers have received various forms of psychological care and treatment since the beginning of the war. At the same time, the use of sedatives and anti-anxiety medications has increased by 16.7 percent, reflecting the mounting psychological pressure within Israeli society.
The newspaper quoted Professor Eyal Fruchter, Chairman of Israel’s National Council for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, as saying that the current indicators point to “a genuine national crisis,” adding that the psychological consequences of the war are unprecedented in the history of the Israeli state.
Warnings of a Worsening Crisis
Meanwhile, trauma researcher Professor Zahava Solomon warned that the current figures may represent only a fraction of the true scale of the crisis, noting that many war-related psychological disorders do not emerge until years after armed conflicts have ended.
The study concluded that a growing number of soldiers returning from the front lines are suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and severe anxiety. It warned that this trend is expected to place increasing pressure on Israel’s healthcare and social welfare systems in the coming years, with the number of people requiring psychological support and treatment projected to continue rising.
