Child Psychiatric Visits Surge 121% Over Three War Years
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Child psychiatric visits increased by 121% over three war years.
- PTSD diagnoses among southern evacuees are six times higher than average.
- High blood pressure and cholesterol rates have risen among evacuees.
- Demand for mental health services has increased by 28%.
- Use of psychiatric medications has seen a notable rise.
A comprehensive review by Clalit Health Services, covering approximately five million insured individuals, revealed a significant increase in mental health issues among children and adolescents since the start of the war. The number of visits by children and teenagers to psychiatric emergency departments has risen by 121% compared to pre-war levels. The review, published on Sunday, October 4, also highlighted persistent high rates of PTSD among evacuees from southern Israel, with diagnoses six times higher than the national average even in the third year of the conflict.
Other health indicators have also worsened. Among southern evacuees, the incidence of uncontrolled high blood pressure increased by 53.7%. Northern evacuees saw a roughly 60% rise in diagnosed hyperlipidemia, or high cholesterol. Additionally, the use of medications for nocturnal enuresis among children from the south increased by approximately 60%.
Clalit's Director General, Eitan Wertheim, stated that the data underscores the severe impact on the civilian population, extending beyond soldiers and security personnel.
Previous reports from the Ministry of Health also indicated a significant increase in the consumption of psychiatric medications. Since the pre-war period, the dispensing of sedatives has grown by about 16.7%, antidepressants by 14.3%, and sleep aids by approximately 13.2%.
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