State Comptroller: 580,000 Israelis suffering from severe PTSD in wake of October 7

A report published by the State Comptroller’s Office finds that approximately 3 million Israeli adults may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or anxiety following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel and subsequent war in Gaza.

State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman says that “the mental health system, which had difficulty functioning even before October 7, collapsed in the first days of the war.”

According to the findings of the report, an estimated 580,000 Israelis suffer from at least one symptom of PTSD at a severe level as a direct consequence of the events of October 7 and their aftermath.

The report states that the main recommended treatment for these conditions is psychotherapy but the average waiting time for mental health treatment in the public healthcare sector can be as long as six months.

In response, Health Minister Uriel Buso says the report is “fundamentally flawed.”

However, Buso says that the ministry has set a goal to double the scope of mental health services available to address the needs arising from the October 7 events and the war.