The events of October 7th, and the Iron Swords War which followed them, created a severe mental health crisis in Israel. The country’s public mental health system, which even prior to the war was underfunded, and as a result experienced staff shortage, long waiting times and poor infrastructure, is unable to deal today with the growing number of individuals seeking treatment. 

In fact, since the war began,there has been a significant increase in cases of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and health organizations report a tenfold increase in the use of prescription drugs including tranquilizers and psychiatric drugs. Mental health experts predict that this is just the beginning.

With a huge gap between demand and supply in mental health services, which is expected to only get worse in the next few years, The Israeli mental health system is in urgent need for new initiatives and solutions.