Gaza Children Face Severe Mental Health Crisis After Three Years

In Israel, the mental health hotline ERAN registered 928,911 contacts since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, according to service data, while three years of conflict and mass displacement left lasting scars across the region. Of those total contacts, 774,604 were handled via phone calls, while 154,307 were received through digital channels including WhatsApp, chat, SMS, and email. The response network relied on 1,850 trained volunteers working alongside mental health professionals.

The Mental Health Crisis Across the Region After Three Years of Conflict

David Koren, executive director of ERAN, characterized the post-outbreak years as a continuous and harsh reality where individuals seeking assistance face combinations of pain, loss, anxiety, loneliness, exhaustion, and other factors. During the initial months of the emergency, a significant portion of requests focused on acute trauma, panic, and grief. Over the three-year span, loneliness emerged as a central issue among callers, rising from roughly 28% of consultations in the first year to 41% by the third year. Shiri Daniels, the national professional director of the service, noted that this proportional metric does not indicate a reduction in overall mental distress, but rather reflects changing problems brought to the helpline.

Shifting Demographics and Rising Youth Vulnerability

Throughout the three-year period, contacts originating from children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 24 grew steadily, eventually accounting for nearly a quarter of all interactions handled by ERAN. Within that younger demographic, the proportion of consultations involving suicidal thoughts, intentions, or actions climbed from 2.6% in the first year to 4.4% in the third year. Across the population, the organization addressed 21,829 suicide-related contacts, representing about 2.35% of all consultations.

Among adults aged 35 to 44—a demographic encompassing many parents and active reservists—the volume of individuals seeking support increased with each successive year. Women accounted for 56% of all general population consultations. Meanwhile, loneliness among military personnel reached 41% of military-related queries in both the second and third years, with professionals pointing to severe isolation episodes as soldiers struggled to transition from intense military experiences back to domestic life.

Photo: Consumer

Devastating Toll on the Infancy in Gaza

Simultaneously, the mental health of children and families inside the Gaza Strip has been severely disrupted by three years of violence and displacement, as detailed in reports from ABC and Última Hora. According to local health authorities and international agencies, more than 58,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents pursuant to figures compiled during the ongoing emergency. Therapists and families report widespread behavioral changes among minors, including severe anxiety, hyperactivty, aggressiveness, and persistent nightmares.

Efforts to address the psychological crisis have included psychosocial support sessions, recreational activities, and art programs organized by agencies such as UNRWA in displacement shelters. Temporary learning spaces have begun operating to reintroduce educational routines and emotional support for thousands of displaced minors across the enclave.

More on this story: Three Years After October 7: Trauma, Survival, and Israel’s Political Reckoning · Ron Shargian and Kazem Doghmash navigate life three years into the war

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