The mental health crisis in Israel after the October 7th attacks

Israel: mental health crisis after the October 7 attacks October 5, 2026Warning: This article contains references to suicide deaths that some readers may find disturbing. As the third anniversary of October 7 approaches, Ronen Shalev's body tells him that something is coming. "You start to tremble," he recounts to DW. "It's not just one day and you move on. We have many graves to visit, many families to meet. It's a difficult time and you feel it in your body." Both sons attended the Nova festival in southern Israel, where almost 400 people were killed in a terrorist attack carried out by the Palestinian militant group Hamas and its affiliates in Gaza. In total, approximately 1,200 people were killed in the attack and around 250 were taken as hostages. The attack triggered the war in Gaza, during which Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced a large part of the population from the territory. Shalev's son, Roee, was shot and hospitalized but survived. Roee's partner, Mapal Adam, died before his eyes. Shalev's daughter, Lior, also managed to survive. Shortly after that day, Shalev's wife, Gavriela, disappeared, before her body was found in a burned car along with a farewell letter. "He could not bear the pain of that day," Shalev says. At the same time, post-traumatic symptoms began to appear in his son Roee, mainly in the form of extreme mood swings. "He went for treatment to calm me down, but he really didn't believe in it. He thought he was fine, that he was strong," Shalev recalls. Two years after Gavriela's death, Roee could not bear it anymore. "I am alive, but I am dead inside," Roee wrote in his farewell message, which he published on his Instagram account. "I am sorry." A Post-Traumatic Nation Since October 2023, Israel has faced a mental health crisis of unprecedented scale. According to a report by the Comptroller of the State of Israel from February 2025, about 39% of the Israeli population reported suffering from post-traumatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, or a combination of the three, at a medium or severe level. This is equivalent to about 3 million people, of whom 600,000 could be suffering severely. However, the report also discovered that the number of people receiving mental health treatment had only increased by 1% since October 7, 2023, a difference of about 60,000 people. Among those affected are the attack survivors, as well as people evacuated from their homes in southern and northern Israel due to the war. Noga Dagan-Buzaglo is a researcher at the Adva Center, a reflection group focused on inequality in Israeli society. Dagan-Buzaglo has written an extensive report on Israel's mental health system and its challenges after October 7. The expert comments to DW that although the country's mental health budget has increased due to the war, it has been insufficient and arrived too late, as the healthcare system was already facing a continuous crisis that was not adequately managed. "The biggest challenge is convincing people to work for Israel's public mental health system, as salaries are lower compared to the private sector, and there is also a workload overload," she says to DW. Sedatives, a common solution The current situation also affects mental health professionals. A study by the University of Haifa reveals that 84% of therapists who treated people affected by the October 7 attack show traumatic symptoms. About 45% said they felt mentally exhausted. The Israeli Ministry of Health has repeatedly stated that it has increased funding and jobs for the country's public mental health system, but the shortage of personnel persists, especially in the peripheral regions of the extreme north and south. Due to these problems, the report points out that waiting times to receive treatment through Israel's public health system are longer than six months. In some cases, Dagan-Buzaglo emphasizes, patients have had to wait more than a year to receive help. Mental health NGOs and volunteers try to cover the shortages, often facing difficulties themselves due to the workload. This also leads to an increase in the use of prescription medications. Some people resort to substances like alcohol and drugs. The Israeli Ministry of Health assured, in early 2026, that it had recorded an increase of between 13% and 17% in the prescription of sedatives, sleeping pills, and antidepressants. Those who suffer the most from the situation are those who cannot afford to pay for a private therapist. Dagan-Buzaglo rates the response of the Israeli public health system to the situation as "simply, bad". Soldiers at Risk Combat soldiers have received special attention regarding Israel's mental health crisis. Statistics published by the Israeli Parliament and the IDF suggest a strong increase in suicide cases among reservists: from a maximum of one in the six years preceding the war to 11 in 2024. Furthermore, there are nine cases investigated as suspected suicides in 2025. This does not include ex-soldiers who took their own lives due to trauma after finishing their service. Dagan-Buzaglo, a researcher at the Adva Center, explains that although professionals receive better salaries and conditions working for the Army, the lack of personnel remains evident. "Even in the Army, the duration and quality of treatment are far from reaching an adequate level." To begin to solve the problem for both civilians and soldiers, she believes the system needs more support. "We have to recognize that trauma does not end after a year. This means investing money." Breaking the Taboo Ronen Shalev gives regular lectures and talks about the importance of mental health, often to groups of soldiers. He believes this is the best way to continue his son's legacy of fighting to stay alive. Shalev, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), says he decided to live his life to the fullest. His message is that the taboo related to suicidal behavior, which still exists in all Israeli society, must be broken. "This is especially true in the case of those who claim to be strong. These are the people who are scary, as they are less likely to receive treatment." For Shalev, speaking publicly about his family's experience has become part of his own recovery, and a way to encourage others to seek help before reaching a crisis point. "Life, with all its pain, still deserves that we decide for it," he says. If you are suffering from severe emotional distress or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, regardless of where you live in the world, on this website: https://befrienders.org/ Do not let the algorithm hide the news. If you trust this site for reliable information, please take a moment to select us as your preferred source on Google: click here and check the box or press the DW.com button to always see our verified news in your preferences. (ms/rml)