The state comptroller’s report published last week highlights critical gaps in Israel’s mental health response after October 7.
Some findings are valid, particularly regarding long-term public health risks and the need for better data integration.
However, other conclusions are flawed, based on unrealistic benchmarks that risk spreading fear rather than driving real solutions. Instead of fixating on incomplete statistics, we need to focus on practical reforms that will make a real difference.
A misleading panic
The report’s claim that PTSD therapy dropout rates in Israel are abnormally high ignores key realities. Unlike global studies conducted in stable environments, Israel’s therapy occurs amid ongoing trauma. Therapy models designed for post-trauma recovery don’t easily apply in wartime.
Additionally, the fixation on 36 therapy sessions as a benchmark for success is arbitrary – people recover at different paces, and rigid session counts don’t define effective care.
Unrealistic expectations
The report rightfully flags long wait times but fails to acknowledge that no system could have been fully prepared for the scale of October 7 – 124,000 evacuees, mass casualties, and widespread displacement. Volunteers, many of them trained professionals, played a critical role in bridging the gap.
The real issue was the slow allocation of government funds, which left the mental health response reliant on philanthropy. Future preparedness must prioritize a step-care model, training non-specialists, and establishing a rapid-response mental health reserve.
Data fragmentation
Here, the report is right – Israel’s lack of mental health data integration is a major barrier. Hospitals, health funds, and mental health centers don’t share records, leading to gaps in care. Fixing this requires standardized data protocols, stronger privacy safeguards, and a national trauma registry. Without these changes, people will continue to fall through the cracks.
Trauma’s long-term impact
Untreated trauma isn’t just about PTSD – it raises risks for cardiovascular disease, immune disorders, and chronic health conditions. It also affects employment, education, and national security. If trauma is not properly addressed, we risk long-term societal instability and soldiers unable to return to service.
The wrong focus
While expanding Resilience Centers and reducing PTSD disability claim wait times are important, the report is overly focused on traditional one-on-one therapy. Trauma healing must be scalable. Task sharing, digital tools, group interventions, and AI-driven screening should be prioritized.
Building together
The question isn’t whether Israel’s response has been perfect – it hasn’t. The question is whether we will use this moment to build a stronger, more resilient mental health system – one that reflects the realities of war, integrates mental health data, expands community-based care, and leverages technology to scale solutions.
The writer is executive director of Israel’s Collective Action for Resilience (ICAR).