Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency service, has expanded its health emergency response unit amid a 45% rise in mental health-related emergencies over the past year, MDA said on Tuesday.
Attributing the sharp increase to the continued strain of the war, MDA said that its aim is to improve care for mental health related emergencies received through the service’s hotline.
From roughly 19,000 calls registered in 2024, the following year recorded 27,623 cases, many of which consist of acute anxiety episodes, post-traumatic stress symptoms, or a deterioration of preexisting mental health conditions.
“Mental health emergencies are some of the most complex and emotionally charged situations our teams face,” said in a statement Dr. Raphael Strugo, deputy director-general of medicine and blood services at MDA.
“As the number of crises increases, MDA is committed to ensuring these individuals get the care they need. By embedding mental health professionals directly into our emergency response, we’re giving our teams the tools to provide the highest quality care, even in the most difficult moments,” he added.
In one such case, the special unit was recently called to help a man with a history of schizophrenia who had threatened his parents with a knife and was refusing help, MDA relayed.
The MDA’s mental health team arrived to assess him, and determined that his condition was likely caused by a problem with his medication and that he needed a more formal psychiatric evaluation in a hospital setting. They spoke with him, helped him feel safe, and clearly explained his options. In the end, he agreed to go to a psychiatric hospital voluntarily, according to MDA.
The emergency service said that calls to MDA’s mental health emergency hotline are transferred to a specially trained mental health dispatcher, who has a mental health crisis intervention unit with access to a psychiatrist for consultation at his or her disposal. In severe cases, such as a potential risk of self-harm or harm to others, the police are also notified.
The new program was established in partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Health.
