Israel as a World Leader in Trauma Care, but Pressure on Mental Health Keeps Growing

Post-traumatic stress is no longer seen in Israel as a marginal or purely personal issue, but as one of the country’s central social challenges in recent years. The article says the effects of war and the October 7 attacks are leaving more and more people with lasting psychological harm, sometimes visible and sometimes silent, that affects everyday life.

Against that backdrop, the "State in Post-Trauma" conference, organized by Yedioth Ahronoth together with the Histadrut, will take place on Monday, June 22. The event will include a panel titled "Israeli Society in an Era of Continuous Trauma," with psychiatrist, brain researcher and lecturer Prof. Yoram Yovel. He said, "Israel is a world power in the field of trauma treatment, and there are effective treatment methods today that can alleviate, heal, and also prevent post-traumatic syndromes. The Government of Israel has a moral and medical duty to allocate the resources that will allow the public mental health system to properly treat everyone who needs care."

Other panelists in that session are Ilnbal Hermoni, chair of the Social Workers Union, attorney Inbar Yehezkeli, who leads post-trauma rehabilitation in the Yesh party, and Prof. Yair Bar-Haim, professor of psychology and brain sciences and head of the National Center for Trauma and Resilience at Tel Aviv University. The conference will also address post-trauma in the workplace, family trauma and its effect on household members, burnout and its impact on the system, along with personal interviews.

Additional participants include acting Histadrut chairman Roi Yaakov, Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer of the Health Ministry’s mental health administration, Itzik Saidian, a post-trauma survivor and head of the "BeGova Einayim" association, Eli Gabay of the Histadrut health professions workers union, attorney Idan Kalman, chairman of the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization, psychologist Dr. Lilach Rahamim, attorney Irit Porian-Weissman, Adam Blumenberg, Soheir Dakseh, Elinor Geze, Ronen Shalev, and fire service officer Sgt. Maj. Itamar Fisher. Hosted by Sharon Kidon, the conference will be streamed live on Ynet’s website and app and covered extensively by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth.