Israeli experts are using the using the latest digital tools as part of a range of mental health treatments to help patients affected by anxiety since the outbreak of war with Iran.
Clalit Health Services, which covers more than half the population, has reported a 160% increase in calls to its mental health support hotline and a 30% rise in patients requiring focused crisis intervention.
Sigal Sidlik-Allon, Chief National Psychologist at the healthcare provider, said: “The rise in calls comes against the backdrop of frequent sirens, the sound of explosions, missile interceptions and impacts, disruption of sleep, and the ongoing disturbance of daily routines for both children and adults.”
The demand is compounded by accumulated stress resulting from the multiple fronts Israel has been attacked from since October 7, including Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran.
Prof. Amir Krivoy, director of the Geha Mental Health Center, which operates under Clalit, said: “One of the staggering things we’ve seen is the increase in monthly PTSD diagnoses.
“It started on October 7, a highly acute, stressful event, and over the following two years we have continued to see spikes linked to events such as the war with Iran.”
Since the October 7 attacks, about 30,000 people within Clalit alone have been newly diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a figure that likely represents around 60,000 nationwide when extrapolated across Israel’s 10 million strong population.
“Typical PTSD clinics can usually treat 400 to 500 patients a year,” Prof Krivoy said. “To manage the current numbers we would need at least 100 clinics of that size.”
After October 2023, prescriptions for anti-anxiety drugs such as diazepam and valium briefly spiked by as much as 1,000 per cent, before falling back from that extreme peak.
But there are other treatments. Since October 2023, Clalit has launched a range of digital tools designed to proactively identify patients at risk and guide them to appropriate care.
Using population data, the system can identify vulnerable groups such as evacuees from border communities, and reach out to them directly via WhatsApp or text message.
Recipients are invited to complete a digital mental health assessment that evaluates symptoms and the urgency of their needs. Professor Ran Balicer, who leads the healthcare provider’s research and innovation efforts, said: “Once we have that risk assessment, we can digitally allocate a human provider.”
Patients awaiting appointments are also supported through digital self-help tools and a “smart chatbot” that guides them through psychological assessments and coping strategies.
The technology also measures progress over time, helping clinicians track improvements or identify patients whose condition is deteriorating. “The need to find technological ways to deliver more precise, proactive care at scale becomes an immediate priority in a crisis,” Prof Balicer said.
Digital and AI-driven solutions, he added, may soon become standard practice in health systems around the world. “These tools are the only appropriate way to manage a sudden surge in need,” he said.
“In many ways we are test-driving the solutions of the future, solutions that every healthcare system will eventually require.”
Meanwhile, antidepressants such as Prozac have continued to climb steadily. “We saw a peak in antidepressant use in October 2023, but since then it hasn’t stabilised,” Prof Krivoy said. “Instead we are seeing about a five per cent increase every year.”
Residents living near the Gaza border and along Israel’s northern frontier on the Lebanese border have been the most heavily affected, reflecting their direct exposure to rocket fire, evacuations and violence.
“In some communities near Gaza we’ve seen increases of up to 900 per cent,” Prof Krivoy said.
Northern residents, who faced months of missile attacks and displacement during fighting with Hezbollah, have also seen sharp rises in trauma-related symptoms, though not at the same scale as those in direct contact with the thousands of Hamas fighters who infiltrated Israel on October 7.
Children have been particularly vulnerable. Cases among both adolescents and younger children have doubled since the attacks, raising concerns about long-term consequences.
“In Israel around 20,000 children under 18 are recognised as victims of terror,” Prof Krivoy said.
“Childhood adversity is a risk factor for severe mental health conditions later in life, so we will need to follow this generation carefully in the coming years.”
Yet despite the grim statistics, he remains optimistic. “More than 90 per cent of people with PTSD eventually recover,” he said. “The question is whether we invest enough resources to help them regain control of their lives.”
Israel has already allocated around 1.4 billion shekels (£300m) in mental health funding in recent years, but Prof Krivoy believes at least 5 billion shekels annually will be required to properly address the crisis.
For Clalit, which provides healthcare for roughly five million Israelis through 1,500 clinics and 14 hospitals, the surge has forced a rapid rethink of how mental health care is delivered. The traditional model of mental health care, reliant on psychiatrists and psychologists working one-to-one with patients, cannot meet the surge in demand.
“There simply are not enough trained mental health professionals,” Prof Balicer said.
To bridge the gap, Clalit has introduced a new profession: mental health trainers, sometimes described as coaches.
After several weeks of intensive academic training, these practitioners can begin providing structured support within primary care clinics, offering early intervention and relieving pressure on specialist services.
For now, Israel’s mental health system remains under intense strain. Prof Krivoy said: “This is a nation under chronic stress with bursts of acute stress. If those stressors ease, recovery is possible. But it depends on whether we invest the resources needed to help people rebuild their lives.”
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