Reservists say IDF cannot keep up with demand for mental health care — Jerusalem Post
In Israel, the Israel Defense Forces and the Ministry of Defense, according to reserve service members, are unable to keep pace with growing demand for mental health assistance after nearly three years of intense fighting on several fronts. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Sources interviewed by the publication claim that thousands of reservists, after lengthy combat deployments, travel abroad to attend specialized programs and receive treatment through private nonprofit organizations. One source stressed the need for closer coordination between the military and such organizations to reduce gaps in diagnosis, oversight and treatment.
Warning of rising PTSD cases
Reservists specializing in mental health warn of a possible significant increase in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder in the coming years. According to estimates by the IDF and the Defense Ministry's Rehabilitation Department, PTSD caused by the war could develop in tens of thousands of service members, mostly reservists.
More than 7,000 service members, most of whom served in combat units, have already been officially recognized as having service-related psychological disabilities linked to service during the war. Sources among reservists say that after completing their service, many people are forced to navigate bureaucratic procedures on their own and seek accessible assistance.
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The army's position
The IDF said it has significantly expanded the capacity and quality of its mental health support system since the start of the war. The military reported opening new clinics in Israel, establishing a 24-hour hotline, and holding structured discussions and debriefings with teams and units after operational deployments end.
The Ta'atzumot clinic, which works with active-duty service members with complex clinical conditions, has increased its staff and added occupational therapy programs, a separate track for career military personnel, and intensive outpatient treatment. According to the IDF, about 65% of the clinic's patients return to service. At the same time, the military clarified that this figure applies only to the facility's patients, not to all people with post-traumatic symptoms.
The Combat Stress Response Unit, which also treats veterans and demobilized personnel with symptoms following combat experience, has admitted more than 5,000 new patients and expanded access to services in the north and south of the country. The IDF noted that medical care for civilians is mainly provided by Ministry of Health bodies, Israeli health maintenance organizations, and the Defense Ministry's Rehabilitation Department, as the military is generally not legally authorized to treat civilians.
