Tel Aviv University study shows after Oct. 7, mental stress has ‘skyrocketed’

In the three months since the Israel-Hamas war began with the terror group’s deadly assault, the mental stress of Jewish Israelis has “skyrocketed” while the population is less active and sleeping less, according to a recent Tel Aviv University study, whose results were released today.

“Approximately 23% of adult Jewish Israelis who were not directly exposed to the horrors of October 7 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (compared to 4.5% who were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder before the outbreak of the war),” the researchers found.

In comparison, they say, in the aftermath of 9/11, only 7.5% of the population in New York City were diagnosed with post-traumatic symptoms.

They also find that after the events of October 7, “about 55% of adult Jewish Israelis suffer from clinical anxiety at various levels, and about 23% suffer from clinical anxiety at a moderate to high level.”

Using data from about 5,000 smartwatch users, the researchers also find that since the beginning of the war there is a “significant decrease in the reported mood level, in physical activity as reflected in the number of daily steps, and in the reported quality of sleep, which was accompanied by a significant increase in time awake.”