2/3/2024-|Last update: 2/3/202406:05 PM (Mecca time)
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A study published in the British medical journal The Lancet revealed that the entire population of Israel was exposed, in one way or another, to the repercussions of the Al-Aqsa Flood, which was unprecedented in scope and horror of psychological trauma.
The study touched on a “massive national psychological trauma” due to the number of post-traumatic symptoms and cases of depression and distress, which indicates a “noticeable impact” on the mental health of Israelis.
Since the day Hamas carried out its attack, the calls received by the “Eran” emergency line have almost doubled, according to what Sheri Daniels, the official in this telephone and electronic platform for psychological aid, revealed.
“Very wide circles of vulnerability have been formed,” according to Daniels, who touched on the situation of ambulance personnel, police, and the families of the dead and hostages, and “everyone in Israel sympathizes with the victims.”
Daniels pointed to the situation of children who do not leave their families at nightfall, or adults who are so anxious and consumed with remorse for their inability to save their relatives that they are unable to concentrate.
Director General of the Ministry of Health, Moshe Bar Siman Tov, revealed that out of an estimated population of 9.7 million, 100,000 have been exposed to accidents that could cause psychological trauma since October 7, and about 200,000 people have been displaced.
A weapon of intimidation
Health Minister Uriel Busso, for his part, considered that Israel is simply facing “the largest mental health crisis in its history,” even though the sector was already suffering from a “huge gap.”
Today, the actual assessment of psychological needs is still premature, as they only appear after exposure to the trigger and are not taken into account unless they last more than a month, according to what psychologist Milka Adraee of the One Family Association, which provides assistance to the public in Israel, explained.
Adraee pointed out that “Hamas uses intimidation as a weapon of war… by reviving past traumas,” such as those associated with “successive waves of displacement, wars, and the Holocaust.”
In light of the worsening needs and the severe shortage of specialists, the Israeli government announced a recruitment campaign and decided in mid-January to grant additional resources to the mental health sector worth 1.4 billion shekels (more than 350 million euros).
Civil society is mobilizing to confront this situation. Virtual reality helmets have been used for therapeutic purposes, and Cheri Daniels says, “We are trying to fill the gaps in the system.”
2024-02-03 14:48:47
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