What's happened
New findings from the National Mental Health Barometer show persistent distress among Israelis three years after the October 7, 2023 attacks, with higher impairment among women and continued strain among children and evacuees. Exposure to media trauma correlates with PTSD, anxiety and depression; half report coping with limited support.
What's behind the headline?
Brief
- The data show a clear, enduring national mental-health crisis linked to the 2023 conflict and subsequent warfare.
- Women, especially aged 18-35, report higher impairment; children and evacuees show elevated anxiety and PTSD diagnoses.
- Media exposure to disturbing content correlates with distress, underscoring the need for mindful media consumption.
What this implies
- The war’s psychological effects are lasting and widespread, affecting work, relationships and leisure.
- Health systems must adapt with long-term mental-health supports, including family and community networks.
- Policy makers should consider trauma-informed care expansion and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups.
Forecast
- If exposure to traumatic media remains high and support stays limited, functional impairment may persist or worsen among a sizeable segment of the population; expanding access to mental-health services will be critical.
How we got here
The National Mental Health Barometer, a joint project by Clalit Health Services’ Research Institute and partner institutes, updates Israel’s mental-health picture through May 2026, following years of conflict beginning Oct. 2023, when Hamas-led attacks and ongoing regional war impacted daily life across the country.
Our analysis
The Times of Israel and Al Jazeera report on the National Mental Health Barometer findings, with The Times of Israel focusing on healthcare system implications and Al Jazeera highlighting personal stories and pediatric impacts.
Go deeper
- What new support programs are being planned for families and children?
- How will the health system adapt to long-term mental-health needs?
- Which communities are most at risk and what targeted measures are proposed?
More on these topics
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Israel - Country in the Middle East
Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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Hamas
Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
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Gaza - Wikimedia disambiguation page
Gaza most commonly refers to: Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea Gaza City, a city in the Gaza Strip Gaza may also refer to:
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Clalit Health Services - Health service organization in Israel
Clalit (Hebrew: שירותי בריאות כללית, General Health Services; previously – קופת חולים כללית, General Sick Fund) is the largest of Israel's four state-mandated health service organizations, charged with administering and funding health care services for its members (all Israeli citizens resident in the country must be a member of one of the four providers). Widely known as Kupat Holim Clalit, it was established in 1911 as a mutual aid society. When the State of Israel was founded in 1948, Clalit was instrumental in providing medical care for the massive influx of new immigrants. Today, it is the largest provider of public and semi-private health services in Israel. Under Israeli law, it is run as a not-for-profit entity.
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The Times of Israel - Website
The Times of Israel is an Israel-based, primarily English-language online newspaper launched in 2012. It was co-founded by journalist David Horovitz, who is also the founding editor, and American hedge fund manager Seth Klarman.