Head of PTSD clinic calls on IDF to exempt soldiers from returning to duty while in trauma therapy

The Clinic of the National Center for Post Trauma & Resilience at Tel Aviv University (TAU) warns that many IDF reservists diagnosed with PTSD after serving in Gaza have been called up again before completing therapy necessitated by their first round of fighting.

Prof. Yair Bar-Haim, head of the clinic, calls for the army to exempt reservists from additional military service until their treatment for PTSD has been completed, according to a TAU press release.

The reservists “risk aggravating their psychological condition,” Bar-Haim says. “Since they might not be fully fit for active service, they also endanger their comrades.”

He presented his findings at TAU’s Annual Convention, “Israel’s Future” on June 16.

Commanders or squad members who return to the battlefield before they have been fully treated for PTSD might have trouble making decisions, Bar-Haim says, and “reduced ability to function.”

The national clinic, launched in December, serves both soldiers and civilians affected by the Israel-Hamas war. It is the largest of its kind in the country.

“We must raise the awareness of soldiers, commanders, and civilians regarding the symptoms of PTSD,” Bar-Haim says.

He calls upon authorities to develop long-term solutions that will upgrade and accelerate training for future therapists and establish strong regional clinics specializing in trauma and PTSD.

Earlier this month, IDF reserves member Eliran Mizrahi took his own life after developing PTSD during the course of the war.

Mizrahi was called into the reserves shortly after Hamas’s October 7 attack, when he was assigned to help clear the bodies of those murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the Supernova music festival. He was then sent into Gaza, where he served as a combat engineer until he was injured in April.

Despite being recognized as a disabled veteran and being diagnosed with PTSD, Mizrahi received an order to report for duty in Rafah in early June, and took his life two days later.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.