Three Years After Nova Festival Attack, Most Survivors Still Face Psychiatric Disability

Three years after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, the majority of survivors continue to struggle with mental health. SafeHeart’s CEO Efrat Atun reports that 79% of those who attended the event have been identified with psychiatric disabilities, while roughly 60% have managed to obtain full-time employment. The organization, launched on the day of the massacre by trauma therapists, now delivers more than 75,000 hours of therapy to over 1,000 survivors via a network of about 400 specialists, including some versed in psychedelic-assisted treatment.

Clinical psychologist Ayelet Cohen-Wieder says inadequate government funding, complex Ministry of Defense procedures, and a lack of public trust hinder recovery, giving the state’s response a low rating of three to four out of ten. Most of SafeHeart’s budget comes from private donations, with only a small share from the National Insurance Institute and Health Ministry. While half of the survivors have made notable progress, ongoing security alerts can trigger fresh anxiety, underscoring the need for continuous care.