Nearly half of young adults in Israel now suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study by Beersheva’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist invasion from Gaza took the Jewish state completely by surprise, and triggered the longest war in Israel’s history.
According to the study, which was published on Monday, PTSD rates among young adults aged 18-24 soared from 25% before the war to 42% after it began.
Among those evacuated from their homes on the Jewish state’s southern and northern borders, the rate increased to 60%.
The study also highlighted rises in depression, loneliness and harmful coping mechanisms, such as self-blame and substance abuse.
Stav Shapira and professor Tehila Rafaeli, the study’s lead researchers, emphasized that the conflict particularly affected young adults as they were heavily exposed to trauma, with many affected by the death or injury of loved ones, as well as displacement due to terrorist threats.
The research also concluded that young Israelis reported a significant decline in effective resilience and social support amid the war, which the study said typically act as protective factors against mental distress.
“We examined whether and how resilience resources protect against the subjective sense of threat and mental distress, and we realized, in the current reality, they are not protective factors, and there is a decline in personal resilience and social support, along with an increase in mental distress,” said Rafaeli.
“Despite the tendency to think that young men and women have the resilience and ability to overcome, and therefore naturally investing time and resources in caring mainly for children and adolescents, the study highlights the imperative not to ignore the many needs of this population,” she added.
A study by Tel Aviv University researchers published over a year ago suggested that nearly a quarter of Israel’s entire Jewish population was suffering from PTSD following the Oct. 7 attack.
Meanwhile, Haifa University found that two out of every three Israelis living abroad experienced PTSD symptoms in the initial two months after the outbreak of the war.