A growing crisis in relationships, employment, and mental health is affecting IDF reservists and their families, according to a new study exposing the deep impact of the Israel-Hamas war on reservist households.
One of the most striking findings was that no less than one in five couples has considered a divorce since the Hamas terrorist attacks in October.
The new findings are ten times the national divorce rate in Israel.
The comprehensive report was conducted by Polly Labs, an organization that leverages existing technologies to develop innovative solutions to social challenges, in cooperation with the Reservists’ Wives Forum and the “Soldiers on the Home Front” NGO.
The study is based on surveys of over 2,300 reservist spouses, as well as soldiers and commanders, in-depth interviews, analysis of calls to a civilian war-room hotline, and a review of relevant professional literature.
The research paints a grim picture of severe psychological suffering: 45% of reservists and 68% of their spouses reported ongoing emotional distress. Yet only 25% of spouses are receiving any kind of emotional support. Alarmingly, 21% of couples said they have considered divorce—an unprecedented figure.
The war has also impacted the younger generation: 85%-92% of parents reported behavioral changes in their children. More than 30% observed increased aggression among children aged 0-11, and 74% of parents of children under 5 reported heightened dependence on the parent who remained at home. Around 33% of families reported operational challenges at home during their partner’s reserve duty, and 48% said they urgently need help with day-to-day physical tasks.
70% of reservists fear losing their jobs or experiencing harm in the workplace. Additionally, 47% report daily financial stress, 72% of business owners reported direct financial damage, and 45% said they lost more than half of their income. A full 58% received no compensation from the state.
Moreover, about 68% of spouses have not accessed their entitled benefits. The State Comptroller has noted that the average waiting time for mental health treatment stands at 6.5 months.
Wake-up call: 'A systemic change is required'
“We can’t keep piling burdens onto these families and treating them as an infinite resource,” said Gila Tolub, CEO of ICAR, a coalition of leading experts in medicine, psychology, public health, philanthropy, and investment, working to accelerate trauma recovery in Israel. “These findings highlight the urgent need for a systemic, large-scale approach.”
Alina Shkolnikov, VP of Partnerships at Polly Labs, added: “The goal of the study was to identify issues where technology can make a difference. We chose to share the findings to expose the depth of the crisis and push for systemic change.”
A 21% rise in low-income families
The report also warns of a looming shortage of 7,000 to 15,000 reservists in the coming years, according to previous estimates, and a 21% increase in the number of families defined as low-income. The researchers emphasize that addressing the crisis must involve innovative solutions, chief among them tailored technology, enhanced welfare services, and comprehensive support for the family as a single unit.