Since 2022, the number of suicides in the IDF has been on an alarming rise: 14 cases in 2022, 17 cases in 2023, and 21 cases in 2024. This year, 17 cases have already been reported, even though the year is far from over. These are not just statistics; these are lives that have been cut short, families that have been shattered, and an entire society that receives a painful reminder of the psychological cost of the security reality in which we live.
However, anyone who thinks this is a purely military phenomenon is mistaken. On the home front, the data is no less disturbing.
According to a study by Maccabi Health Services, since 2013 there has been a 94% increase in the number of patients with depression and anxiety who have consulted family doctors. By 2024, patients with depression and anxiety already accounted for a quarter of all visits to family doctors.
During this period, there was also a 35% increase in the purchase of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications. Official data on civilian suicides are not regularly published, but the feeling of anxiety and mental strain is evident in almost every home, in conversations with friends, in lines at clinics, and on social media.
Mental health is critical for a stable society
Resilience and mental health are critical foundations for the quality of life of Israeli residents, and are a necessary condition for a functioning, stable, and prosperous society. In recent years, Israeli society has faced ongoing challenges – security emergencies, health crises, and socioeconomic consequences that undermine the sense of personal security. These challenges have a cumulative cost, and sometimes it is higher than it seems.
The mental health system in Israel suffers from deep gaps in the availability, accessibility, and quality of services. Patients wait months for their first appointment, and some give up on seeking care before even receiving a response. The lack of coordination between the health, welfare, and education systems creates duplication and information gaps, and people at risk are missed. Simply put, we recognize distress too late, and sometimes only when it has already become an acute crisis.
The situation is even worse in the periphery, among new immigrants and disadvantaged groups. In places where there are not enough professionals, and there are no culturally adapted or language-appropriate services, people simply give up on getting help and continue to cope on their own.
The need for change
To change this reality, we need to look close to home. Local authorities in Israel have a daily impact on the lives of residents through the education system, welfare services, and cultural and health centers. They know their communities intimately, the languages spoken, the habits, and special needs. This proximity allows them to identify hardships early and offer precise answers if only they are given the tools, the authority, and the budgets.
Despite the great potential inherent in existing infrastructure, most local authorities lack strategic and integrated management of the field of resilience and mental health. Existing services are provided at different and diverse levels, often as a result of specific decisions and not from an overall plan.
The result is huge gaps between authorities in both the scope of services, their quality, and their availability. Even when services are provided, they often operate separately and without systemic coordination, leading to gaps and missing critical needs of residents.
The move to strengthen resilience through local authorities should include tools such as early detection systems in schools and the community, dedicated resilience teams that are trained to operate in trauma and emergencies, and culturally adapted responses to Arab society, new immigrants, the elderly, children and youth at risk, and even to the security forces themselves. This is not an expense but a worthwhile investment: It reduces the need for expensive late-stage treatments, reduces the burden on hospitals, and most importantly, saves lives.
Israel’s national security is not limited to the number of tanks or the quality of intelligence. It is also measured by the mental health of citizens and soldiers. As long as we continue to ignore this connection, we will continue to pay the price both at the front line and on the home front. It is time for us to understand that community resilience and mental health are not luxuries; they are the foundation for the resilience of the entire country.
The writer is director of policy development at the 121 Association.