Three years after the October 7 massacre, children’s psychiatric emergency room visits in Israel have more than doubled, rising 121.3% compared to pre-war baselines. According to data released by Clalit Health Services, the physical and psychological toll of the conflict continues to profoundly impact both evacuated populations and the wider public.
In Plain English: The Clinical Takeaway
- Psychiatric Emergencies: Visits to emergency rooms for psychiatric care among minors have surged, pointing to an escalating youth mental health crisis three years into the aftermath of the war.
The Three-Year Trajectory of Pediatric Psychiatric Emergencies
Data covering roughly five million Clalit Health Services members from October 2023 through September 2026 reveals that the psychological fallout among minors has worsened over time. While adult psychiatric emergency room visits remained relatively stable, pediatric and adolescent visits climbed 78.3% in the second year of the war and reached a 121.3% increase in the third year. Pediatrician referrals to mental health services rose by 52.1%, and new anxiety diagnoses among children increased by about 40% to 70%. Among children evacuated from southern Israel, distress manifested physically as well, with dispensing rates for Minirin—a medication used to treat bedwetting—climbing 47.8% in the third year.
The war does not end when the security incident passes. It leaves a health imprint behind,
Clalit CEO Prof. Ehud Davidson stated following the data release.
Persistent PTSD and Anxiety Across Evacuated Populations
For residents evacuated from communities near the Gaza border and elsewhere in southern Israel, the psychological impact has been deeper and more sustained than in the general population. During the conflict’s initial twelve months, individuals displaced from the south experienced new diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that surged to 18 times pre-war levels, staying 11 times higher during year two and maintaining a sixfold elevation by year three. New anxiety diagnoses among this group rose tenfold in the first year, while sleep disorders increased by about 358%.
Throughout the country during the first year of the conflict, newly recorded anxiety cases climbed by 45.5%, while fresh diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder doubled. Across the three-year period, referrals to and visits at community mental health services rose by about 20% to 28% overall, and between twofold and 4.5-fold among southern evacuees.
The psychological consequences of the war and the events of Oct. 7 are not a temporary, isolated event, but a deep and ongoing crisis,
noted Prof. Amir Krivoy, director of Clalit’s Geha Mental Health Center. Krivoy noted that because newly recorded PTSD cases among highly stressed groups continue to run two to six times higher than pre-war baselines even three years on, a comprehensive strategy is essential—one that incorporates a substantial expansion of expert personnel and dedicated care settings.
Metabolic Deterioration and Lifestyle Shifts Among Evacuees
The health consequences extend beyond mental health into chronic physical conditions. Among those displaced from the south over the three-year span, the fraction of patients dealing with poorly managed blood pressure grew by 30% to 53.7%, whereas the wider public saw only a 2.5% rise. Diabetes control also worsened among southern evacuees during the first year.
| Health Indicator | General Population Trend | Southern Evacuees Trend | Northern Evacuees Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Anxiety Diagnoses (Year 1) | +45.5% | 10-fold | Not specified |
| Poorly Controlled Blood Pressure | +2.5% | 30% to 53.7% | Not specified |
| High Cholesterol Diagnoses | about 20% | Not specified | roughly 60% |
| Smoking-Cessation Meds | 37% | 104% | 26.7% |
Across the country, fresh diagnoses for high cholesterol and other elevated blood fats grew by roughly 20%, while northern evacuees saw an approximate 60% jump. Avital Margalit, director of Clalit’s Northern District Galilee administration, clarified that numerous displaced individuals underwent substantial shifts in their daily habits and nutritional intake following months of hotel living, which involved consuming multiple heavy meals daily, turning to food for emotional comfort, and getting less physical activity. She pointed out that the decline in health metrics proved less severe than anticipated, emphasizing that ongoing outreach from healthcare staff—delivered via pop-up clinics along with phone and digital medicine platforms—helped curb the decline and paved the way for the quicker bounce-back we observe today.
Shifts in Care Delivery and Preventive Medicine
The prolonged crisis also transformed how patients interact with healthcare systems. While the overall number of primary care consultations remained relatively stable, in-person appointments fell about 13%, while telephone consultations rose about 36% nationwide. Among evacuees from northern and southern Israel, telephone consultations increased by about 50%. Preventive medicine also suffered.
Pharmaceutically, patterns of medication use reflected diverging stress responses. ADHD medication usage grew by 25% among the general public, contrasted with a 20.5% uptick for southern evacuees and a mere 5% rise among those displaced from the north. The pattern was reversed for smoking-cessation medication. Use among southern evacuees rose 104%, compared with 37% nationwide and 26.7% among northern evacuees.
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