The Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Division is treating 82,400 wounded men and women, including 31,000 treated for mental health concerns, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to annual figures published by the ministry on Monday.
Out of these, 22,000 have been added since the October 7 massacre, the ministry clarified.
Of the new additions, 58% are being treated for mental health concerns, with the ministry receiving approximately 1,500 requests for recognition of mental health issues every month.
The ministry estimates that by 2028, the Rehabilitation Division will be treating 100,000 wounded, of whom approximately half will be suffering from mental health problems.
In response to this growing number, the Defense and Finance Ministries established a public committee to examine expanding the response, support, and treatment for wounded IDF soldiers and veterans.
As part of the response, the Rehabilitation Division is expanding medical and mental therapeutic packages for the wounded, the Defense Ministry confirmed. This will include increasing the division’s budget by 53% to NIS 8.3 billion. Of this amount, almost half (NIS 4.1 billion) will be dedicated to supporting patients with mental health issues.
In addition to the growing number of soldiers and veterans with recognized mental health concerns, there has been an increase of approximately 50% among those seeking alternative treatment methods and an increase of some 80% in calls to the Nefesh Achat (One Soul) hotline, the ministry noted.
Over a quarter of wounded suffered injuries since beginning of Israel-Hamas War
The Defense Ministry published additional statistics on the breakdown of those treated by the Rehabilitation Division.
Out of the 82,400 being treated, 9% are female, and 26% were wounded since the start of the Israel-Hamas War.
In addition, 49% were wounded during regular military service, while 26% were reservists when they suffered their injuries. The ministry also noted that 13% are career soldiers, and 9% are police officers.
Out of the wounded, 68% are over 40 years old, 64% are married, and 8% are divorced. Further, 873 wounded people are confined to a wheelchair, with 132 of whose wounds were inflicted since the Hamas massacre began.
Furthermore, 612 are defined with a 100% disability. Of these, 64 were wounded during the Israel-Hamas War. Also, 115 are dealing with damaged sight, including blindness. Five were wounded during the war.
There are also 1,061 amputees, of whom 88 were wounded since the beginning of the war.
The eldest of those treated by the Rehabilitation Division is a 98-year-old Haganah veteran.
The ministry noted that Modi’in-Maccabim-Reut had the highest per capita rate of wounded soldiers and veterans, followed by Herzliya and Ramat Gan.