Survey: 1.5 million Israelis directly impacted by Oct. 7 massacres

Researchers warn that psychological distress is becoming chronic for a significant portion of Israel’s population.

By World Israel News Staff

A new study examining the mental health of Israelis in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre and three years of war has revealed the extraordinary scale of the trauma experienced across the country, with millions of people reporting lasting psychological effects and significant disruptions to their daily lives.

The survey, conducted by the research division of Clalit Health Services, Israel’s largest health maintenance organization, in collaboration with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute in Jerusalem, found that 15% of Israelis were directly exposed to trauma on October 7 and in its aftermath.

The category included people who were present in communities in southern Israel invaded by Hamas-led terrorists, attended the Nova music festival, or personally knew someone who was killed or wounded during the October 7 massacre or the subsequent fighting.

With Israel’s population exceeding 10 million, the findings suggest that approximately 1.5 million people fall into this category of direct exposure to trauma.

Approximately one in five Israelis — around 20% of the population — said their ability to function in daily life remained negatively affected by post-traumatic symptoms and anxiety directly associated with October 7 and the war.

The impact appeared particularly pronounced among younger women. Nearly one-third of women between the ages of 18 and 35 reported experiencing impaired functioning because of mental health difficulties triggered by the massacre and its aftermath.

“The data once again demonstrate just how unprecedented October 7 was globally in terms of the scale of the population’s exposure to trauma, both directly and indirectly through exposure to disturbing videos and media content,” Prof. Ran Balicer, deputy director general and head of the innovation division at Clalit Health Services, said in a media statement. “This helps explain the findings regarding the intensity of the national trauma and its lasting effects.”

The survey also found that the psychological consequences of the massacre and the ensuing war continue to interfere with everyday life for a substantial portion of the population.

Balicer added that “the findings show that alongside a steady increase in the proportion of people receiving mental health treatment, psychological distress is becoming chronic for a significant part of the population and is accompanied by deep functional impairment.”

The findings also pointed to a substantial gap between the need for psychological support and the number of people actually receiving professional care. Nearly one-third of respondents said they felt they needed professional mental health treatment, but only about half of that group had sought such services.