# Israel's mental health crisis after October 7 attacks > Israel faces mental health crisis as 39% of citizens report severe trauma symptoms post-October 7. - Title: Israel's mental health crisis after October 7 attacks · Dw - Summary: Israel faces mental health crisis as 39% of citizens report severe trauma symptoms post-October 7. Israel's mental health system struggles to address… - Keywords: israel, mental health crisis, october 7 attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, hamas, gaza war, state comptroller, adva center, israeli health ministry, suicide, trauma, soldiers - Source: Dw — https://dw.com/en/israel-s-mental-health-crisis-in-the-wake-of-oct-7-attacks/a-79507122?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf - Read time: 1 min - Topics: israel, mental health crisis, october 7 attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder, hamas, gaza war, state comptroller, adva center, israeli health ministry, suicide, trauma, soldiers ## Ronen Shalev's story Ronen Shalev's children attended the Nova Party where almost 400 people were killed in a Hamas attack on October 7. > You start shivering ## Family trauma Shalev's wife died in a burned car with a goodbye letter after the attack, and his son Roee developed severe post-traumatic symptoms. > He went to treatment to please me, but he didn't really believe in it ## National mental health crisis A State Comptroller report from February 2025 shows 39% of Israelis suffer severe mental health symptoms post-October 7. > some 39% of the Israeli public reported suffering from post-traumatic symptoms, depression, anxiety or a combination of the three ## Treatment gaps Only 1% of people receiving mental health treatment since October 7, 2023, with 600,000 people potentially suffering severely. > the number of people receiving mental health treatment had only risen by 1% since October 7, 2023 ## Health system struggles 84% of therapists treating trauma victims show traumatic symptoms themselves, with 45% feeling mentally exhausted. > 84% of the therapists who treated people affected by the October 7 attack showed traumatic symptoms themselves ## Soldiers affected Suicide cases among reservists rose from one annual case to 11 in 2024, with nine suspected suicides in 2025. > from a maximum of one annual case in the six years preceding the war to 11 cases in 2024 ## Systemic issues Israel's public mental health system struggles with staffing shortages, long waiting times, and limited resources for trauma treatment. > staffing shortages remain, especially in peripheral regions in the far north and south ## Breaking the taboo Ronen Shalev advocates for mental health awareness, saying trauma is not over after a year and that strong people are less likely to seek help. > This is especially true regarding those who say they are strong. They're the scary ones as they're less likely to receive treatment ## What happens next Israel needs increased investment in mental health services to address the ongoing trauma crisis. > We have to acknowledge the fact that trauma is not over after a year. This means investing money ## Key takeaway Israel's mental health system struggles to address widespread trauma from October 7 attacks, with 39% of citizens reporting severe symptoms.