PTSD

The battlefield does not end at the fence: Taking care of IDF soldiers' mental health

Each life lost to suicide is one too many; every effort must be made to prevent the next.

An Israeli soldier whose leg was shattered by a grenade uses crutches as he walks along a corridor of Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.
 Illustrative image of drug abuse

A nation in pain: A silent crisis of trauma and addiction - opinion

 Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Yossi Hershkovitz’s funeral at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on November 12. Hershkovitz, 44, the beloved principal of the Ort Pelech Boys School in Jerusalem, was one of five IDF reservists killed in combat in northern Gaza.

How to explain war to children

Prof. Eyal Kalanthroff

HUJI study links October 7 trauma to surge in OCD among Israelis


Israel's latest innovation to fight PTSD: Animated characters and neuromodulation devices

Now, for the first time, the US Food and Drug Administration has cleared a neuromodulation device for treating PTSD.

Prism simulation.

Hibuki: The national comforter of Israel’s children, and the world - opinion

“Hibuki Intervention” has been scientifically proven as the most effective and rapid treatment for post-trauma and anxiety in children.

Hibuki at the Tel Aviv light rail station.

Digital terrorism: Hebrew U study examines hate speech and the wounds of war after Oct. 7

In the chaotic weeks after October 7, social media feeds filled with grim images of violence – and, for many users, a torrent of anti-Israel and antisemitic abuse.

 Social media and digital online concept, man using smart phone.

The war isn’t over and the real battle has just begun - opinion

Since October 7, Israelis have lived with unrelenting trauma, and the country is in the midst of a mental health state of emergency.

VISITORS PONDER the scene of the Nova massacre. IDF soldier Daniel Edri burned himself alive after he told his mother that he could still smell and envision the dead bodies he had found on October 7 at the Nova site.

First Lady Michal Herzog Visits the National Center for Traumatic Stress and Resilience at TAU

Tel Aviv University operates Israel’s largest PTSD clinic, providing life-saving care to soldiers and civilians amid the ongoing war.

Left to right- Prof. Amal Jamal, Prof. Yair Bar-Haim, Israel’s First Lady, Michal Herzog & TAU President, Prof. Ariel Porat

PTSD forces more than 1,100 IDF soldiers out of service, military data reveals

The IDF is addressing, yet struggling to contain a wave of combat trauma, with over 1,100 soldiers discharged for PTSD as the army expands mental health support.

Israeli soldiers with PTSD, demanding better rights and conditions, block a road outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem, August 18, 2025.

Research, legalization, and controlled use of psychedelics could be effective in treating PTSD

Once counterculture, psychedelics are now studied in Israel for treating PTSD and depression, with research exploring sustainable bioengineered use.

The front cover of Bionegineering Enlightenment

Losing the PTSD war: Israeli soldiers are dying off the battlefield

Since the Israel-Hamas War began in October 2023, nearly 50 IDF soldiers – most of them suffering from PTSD – have taken their own lives.

IDF soldiers operate in Beit Hanun.

'They no longer recognize themselves': The growing crisis among Israel's security forces - opinion

The survey, carried out among 111 participants – including active-duty soldiers, career service members, reservists, and ZAKA volunteers – focused on post-traumatic symptoms.

 Tired pensive military man feeling worry and despair overhead view. Psychological trauma and PTSD treatment at therapy session. Tired pensive military man feeling worry and despair overhead view

Police clash with combat veteran demonstrators outside Knesset, punch protest leader

The protests, which have been ongoing in recent weeks, demand government action to assist soldiers in coping with trauma resulting from their military service. 

Israeli soldiers with PTSD, demanding better rights and conditions, block a road outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem, August 18, 2025.

Confronting the national trauma pandemic - opinion

In Israel, we are all too familiar with the scars of war, smoke on the horizon, sirens in the night, the sound of explosions all too nearby, and funerals of heroes whose names we must never forget.

Shamir Medical Center.