After the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Palestinian resistance, all residents of Israel were exposed, in one way or another, to unprecedented repercussions in terms of scope and horror of psychological trauma, according to a study published in the British medical journal The Lancet.
The study touched on a “massive national psychological trauma” given the number of post-traumatic stress 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 was revealed by Sherri Daniels, the official in this telephone and electronic platform for psychological aid.
“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 also pointed out the situation of children who do not leave their families at nightfall, or adults who are so anxious and consumed with remorse over 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.
Health Minister Uriel Busso, for his part, considered that Israel was simply facing “the largest mental health crisis in its history,” even though the sector was already suffering from a “huge gap.”
The actual assessment of psychological needs is still premature today, as they do not appear until after exposure to the trigger factor and are not taken into account unless they continue for 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), according to Agence France-Presse.
Civil society is mobilizing to confront this situation. Virtual reality headsets have been used for therapeutic purposes. “We’re trying to fill in the gaps in the system,” says Sherri Daniels.
2024-02-04 07:39:22
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