150,000 Calls for Help as Mental Health System Faces Burnout and Trust Crisis

A conference titled “A State in Post-Trauma,” held yesterday, June 22, by Yedioth Ahronoth in cooperation with the Histadrut and moderated by Sharon Kidon, brought together experts, therapists, decision makers and trauma survivors to discuss Israel’s mental health system, therapist burnout and ways to strengthen personal and national resilience.

At a panel on burnout, Rikki Meiri of the Natal trauma center said the organization’s hotlines have received about 150,000 requests for help since the war began, and the number of people in treatment has risen from only hundreds before the war to thousands now. She said Natal is currently following about 3,000 people, half reservists and half civilians, and that “we are seeing waves of trauma in real time.” Idan Kliman apologized for past remarks about post-trauma victims and said the system has been transformed since October 7, when Israel had about 8,500 recognized PTSD sufferers and then absorbed about 25,000 new wounded, of whom 62% already report PTSD symptoms, anxiety and other mental distress.

Other speakers said physical and psychological rehabilitation cannot be separated. Eli Gabay of Rabin Medical Center said caregivers carry the patients’ pain home with them. Sohair Dakseh said the Arab sector entered the war already under heavy strain. Acting Histadrut chairman Roi Yaakov proposed creating a national authority for post-trauma care, modeled on the union’s 29 regional branches, so residents outside Tel Aviv, including in places like Dimona, would not have to travel far for treatment.

Singer Neta Barzilai described a relationship with a former partner who returned from the war with post-trauma, saying it felt like dependence rather than a healthy partnership, and said her upcoming album “Serenade,” due out next month at Amphi Shuni, was shaped by life since October 7. In another panel, psychologist Prof. Yoram Yovell described Israel as stuck in a “liminal” state between emergency and peace, while still ranking eighth in the 2026 World Happiness Index. Later panels examined family trauma and the impact on workplaces. Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, head of the Health Ministry’s mental health division, said most Israelis will ultimately recover and grow, but warned that building a stronger public system takes time. PTSD activist Itzik Saidian said the full national trauma will only become clear once the country is truly quiet.