Psychological Crisis in Israel: The Shockwave of Collective Trauma

TEL-AVIV, November 30, 2025 — The Israeli mental landscape shows signs of deep distress, according to a report from the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, which describes an explosion of addictions and a saturated mental health system. This crisis, with complex roots, extends its ramifications into recently accumulated traumas, with consequences that could span several generations.

A Nation in Psychological Suffering

The observation is alarming: “Two million Israelis today need psychological support from the State,” reports the newspaper. This spectacular estimate represents nearly a quarter of the country’s population, revealing the extent of the psychological shock.

The most severe symptoms – post-traumatic stress, clinical depressions, multiple addictions – constitute the visible face of this crisis. Experts warn that these disorders are likely to peak after the end of current hostilities, when the immediate urgency gives way to the psychological processing of traumatic events.

Exponential Rise in Addictions

Professor Merav Roth, a clinical psychologist, provides particularly worrying figures: the addiction rate has risen from one in ten people in 2018 to one in four today. This spectacular increase in addictions, both to drugs and alcohol, reflects a search for relief in the face of anxiety that has become unbearable for many citizens.

A Mental Health System in Crisis

Behind these figures lies an already fragile mental healthcare system, now overwhelmed. The report describes a system “saturated and in structural crisis,” characterized by an acute shortage of therapists, interminable waiting times, and outdated infrastructure.

This mismatch between massive needs and care capacities creates a situation where many distressed individuals find themselves without appropriate support, aggravating their condition and promoting escape mechanisms like addictions.

The Collapse of the Social Fabric

Beyond individuals, it is family and community structures that show signs of erosion. The accumulation of traumas exceeds the absorption capacities of traditional support networks, leaving many Israelis in psychological isolation conducive to the worsening of disorders.

A Traumatic Legacy for Future Generations

The experts interviewed issue an unequivocal warning: without massive and immediate reinforcement of resources allocated to mental health, future generations will pay the price for these accumulated collective traumas.

The question now is that of Israeli society’s capacity to implement a response commensurate with this unprecedented psychological challenge, while resources are largely mobilized by other priorities.