Mental Health Crisis Deepens Three Years After October 7th

Three years after the October 7th massacre, a report by Clalit Health Services reveals a significant and ongoing deterioration in the mental and physical health of Israelis, particularly among children and evacuated populations. The study, which analyzed data from approximately five million Clalit members between October 2023 and September 2026, compared to the two years prior to the war, found a 121% increase in referrals of children and adolescents to psychiatric emergency rooms. This surge is more than double the pre-war rate, with anxiety diagnoses in children also rising by 40% to 70% and pediatricians' referrals to mental health services increasing by 52.1%.

Overall, new diagnoses of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doubled in the first year of the war and remained significantly elevated in the third year. For residents evacuated from the Gaza envelope and southern Israel, the mental health impact was even more severe, with PTSD diagnoses in the first year being 18 times higher than pre-war levels, and remaining six times higher in the third year. Sleep disorders also saw a 358% increase among this group in the first year, with mental health service referrals doubling to 4.5 times higher.

Beyond mental health, physical health indicators also showed concerning trends. Among evacuated residents from southern Israel, there was a 47.8% increase in the dispensing of medication for nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting) in children. High cholesterol diagnoses rose by approximately 60% among evacuees from northern Israel, compared to about 20% in the general population. Uncontrolled blood pressure also increased significantly among southern evacuees.

Clalit CEO Prof. Eitan Wertheimer stated that the war leaves a lasting health impact, and Prof. Amir Krivoi, Director of the Geha Mental Health Center, emphasized that the mental consequences are a deep and ongoing crisis requiring extensive preparation, including more professional staff and specialized treatment frameworks. Dr. Avital Margalit, Manager of the Galilee Administration, attributed some physical health issues among evacuees to significant lifestyle and dietary changes during their displacement.

The report also noted a shift towards remote medicine, with a 36% increase in telephone consultations and a 50% rise among evacuated populations, while in-person visits decreased. Preventive care saw a decline, with reduced mammography screenings and colon cancer screening tests among northern and southern evacuees. Despite these challenges, statistically significant increases in heart attacks or strokes were not observed across the general population during the three-year period.