War’s three-year toll reveals soaring mental-health diagnoses in Israel

Clalit Health Services analyzed health data from its 5 million members over three years of war, finding mental-health issues to be the most pronounced impact. New anxiety diagnoses rose 45.5% and PTSD diagnoses doubled in the first year, with rates remaining markedly higher throughout the period. Southern evacuees saw an 18-fold increase in PTSD and a ten-fold rise in anxiety, alongside a 358% surge in sleep disorders and deteriorating management of blood pressure and diabetes.

Among children and adolescents, psychiatric emergency department visits grew 78.3% in the second year and 121.3% in the third, while anxiety diagnoses rose 40% to 70% nationwide. The study also noted declines in preventive screenings and a shift toward remote consultations, highlighting broad challenges for Israel’s health system.