'The emotional cost has been unbelievable': How three years of war have changed Israelis - study

Since the Israeli voluntary organization ERAN (Emotional First Aid) was founded in 1971, it has never received so many calls for help as during the past three years.

The devastating psychological trauma, fears, and chronic anxiety resulting from the vicious Hamas terrorist onslaught down south elicited 928,911 calls for help: 316,514 in the first year, 320,486 in the second year, and 291,911 in the third year.

The shock of the terrorist incursion, the murders, hostage taking, rapes, and destruction of homes in the Gaza border communities made ERAN an emotional refuge for Israelis of all ages.

Trained ERAN counselors are available at no cost, around the clock, and just a phone call away, while the number of public mental health professionals for counseling was and remains minimal.

Of the total inquiries, 21,829 involved suicidal thoughts, intentions, or actions. The average rate of such calls over the three years stood at 2.35%.

Suicidal distress stems from a combination of factors, so the trend should not be attributed solely to the war or any single cause, said ERAN CEO David Koren in an interview with The Jerusalem Post.

Among young people and adolescents, the subject of suicide was very prominent; it nearly doubled over the three years of the war, rising from 2.6% in the first year to 4.4% of total inquiries in the third year.

Among soldiers, the rate of calls regarding violence and sexual abuse rose from 5% to 10% in the second year, and stood at 8% of total inquiries in the third year of the war.

The rate of calls involving loneliness among the general population rose from 28% in the first year of the war to 41% of total inquiries by the third year, continued Koren, who served as CEO from 1998 to 2005 and then returned to the job in 2011.

He brought impressive credentials to the post – he was certified in mediation and crisis management, earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Haifa, and is an active board member of the Israeli Trauma Coalition.

Maria Berta Zaslany established the association in Jerusalem in memory of her husband, Dr. Arieh Zaslany, who served for over 18 years as director of mental health services for schools in Jerusalem and as a psychiatric consultant for the Jerusalem Municipality.

He specialized in treating suicidal individuals and successfully dissuaded many from taking their own lives. After he passed away in 1968 at the age of 57, the first branch was at Mrs. Zaslany’s Jerusalem home, and it gradually grew into a national association.

“We are like a seismograph of society. For over five decades, we worked devotedly to provide psychological first aid to anyone in need of a listening ear and support,” Koren said.

“Over the years, we have faced numerous challenges and periods of crisis and uncertainty; from these experiences, a deep commitment has grown to serve as an available, humane, and accessible resource for the people of Israel – at any hour, on any day,” he continued.

“The three years of war have presented us with a harsh and ongoing reality. Behind every call for help stands a person grappling with pain, loss, anxiety, loneliness, or burnout, and sometimes a combination of these.”

Asked what the single biggest change the organization has seen in the kind of distress Israelis discussed was, Koren responded: “As time passed, the population felt that the war was endless. They had thought it would be won in a few months, not three years. The emotional cost has been unbelievable. It affects everybody; it has made us a people with much less patience and connection with our environment. We constantly have to be alert.”

Reserve soldiers suffer from a lot of stress because they and their families haven’t returned to normal life. Many lost their jobs and businesses. Having to “re-enter” reserve duty time after time is very hard on them, he stated.

“Uncertainty is very difficult for children and teens, who are showing a significant rise in distress. Adults over 25 are suffering from tension and emotional fatigue, which had already worsened during COVID. It’s a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.”

Young people who tell ERAN about their problems relating to school, university studies, military service, disrupted education, and uncertainty about the future are all under stress because their routine has fallen apart, Koren continued.

“We have heard from callers about plans to emigrate from Israel out of fear or hopelessness, but we have no data on how many,” he said.

ERAN can’t know how many people have called for help multiple times, or whether they called several times about different problems.

“In addition, some people call from numbers that are hidden. We have to provide absolute numbers,” the organization’s CEO explained. “We also don’t have demographic information about specific sectors, such as various immigrant groups, that call more, because all the calls are made anonymously.”

He said the organization’s 1,800 volunteers around the country also need emotional support.

“We don’t have enough. We have branches in Australia with 50 volunteers and one in North America with 150, who answer most queries when it’s late at night in Israel.

“The Aliyah and Integration Ministry covers the cost of professional counselors in Russian, Amharic, Arabic, French, and Spanish who are on duty for five hours in the afternoons and evenings.”

Becoming an ERAN volunteer family is open to every Israeli person over the age of 25, from all backgrounds, who can listen, understand, and empathize.

They need to be able to speak, read, and write Hebrew. Some work from ERAN’s 15 branches, while others take calls from their home on a designated phone.

It also has a professional staff of 50 dedicated employees, ranging from headquarters and management to branch managers and coordinators.

ERAN is hearing from Israelis who never entered the formal mental-health system but are desperate for help, said Koren.

“Some are consulting AI-based conversations like ChatGPT and Gemini, and these can help, but they’re not the same as ERAN, which provides a human voice,” he said.

Dr. Shiri Daniels, ERAN’s national professional director, concluded: “In the daily routine, it’s important to notice those who are struggling, identify signs of distress, ask directly about suicidal thoughts when concerns arise, listen, and ensure that help is accessible before the distress deepens.

“We’re living in a state of ‘pseudo-routine.’ Most of us continue to work, study, raise children, and function, but functioning is not necessarily an indication of mental well-being.

“Amidst ongoing uncertainty and threats, distress can gradually accumulate, manifesting as burnout, loneliness, relationship difficulties, and a compromised sense of stability and security.”

For mental health support, call 1201 at any time of the day or night; visit the ERAN website (eran.org.il) or contact it via WhatsApp (052-8451201).