IDF Trauma Up 1000%.......Will They EVER Be The Same

The amount of reservists seeking treatment for trauma jumped from 270 per year to around 3,000, according to IDF Lt.-Col. Uzi Bechor. The volume of reservists seeking treatment for trauma has jumped from 270 per year to around 3,000, a jump of more than 1,000%, Lt.-Col. Uzi Bechor, head of the Combat Mental Health Unit for reservist soldiers, has told The Jerusalem Post.

Bechor’s unit is ready to help any soldier experiencing trauma, whether due to post-traumatic stress disorder, general depression, or physical symptoms, such as shaking.

Explaining the difference between his unit and other arms of the IDF and the Defense Ministry that handle trauma-related issues for soldiers, he said, “We do not deal with active soldiers. We deal with discharged or reservist soldiers who are now civilians. This is an unusual situation compared to the rest of the world.
“In 1982 [following the First Lebanon War], we took responsibility for those in the hardest situations, even after their discharge, so they would get the most professional mental and emotional treatment within the IDF,” said Bechor

“Someone comes to us, and there is no bureaucracy. They get a quick initial evaluation, and then we can immediately offer them individualized treatment. There are many different types of treatment“

[a sylogistiv comment]   There has been a huge increase in treatment since the start of the war. But we were also on the way to being prepared for this as the war started,” he noted.

Distinguishing between his unit and the Defense Ministry, he said, “We give quality care. We give treatment, not financial support rights. But just addressing trauma does not need all of these bureaucratic processes.”

Using Bechor’s services does not restrict applying to the Defense Ministry for seeking financial support rights. There are soldiers who receive support from both. For Bechor’s unit, the evaluation determines how long their treatment should be.

Many soldiers who receive treatment will get between 12 to 15 psychological treatment sessions, while others may receive a full year or more of such sessions. However, the treatment Bechor’s unit provides is not lifelong, so in cases where lifelong treatment is needed, his unit will even recommend coverage to the Defense Ministry.

Treatment also offered to combat support soldiers, incl. medics, drivers. The treatment is offered not only to combat fighters, but also to combat-support soldiers, including medics and drivers.

There is also a special provision for the unit to provide treatment to desk-job soldiers who were impacted by Hamas's October 7 massacre.

In essence, Bechor said his unit is “concerned about the substance of the trauma’s impact on soldiers’ ability to function, not bureaucratic formalities.” He said his team has multidisciplinary expertise: from clinical psychologists to social workers to therapists to psychiatrists.

His unit includes a mix of mandatory service-trained care providers and  reservist care providers, all relating to assisting with trauma. In addition, his unit is open to creative therapies like music therapy, as long as there is a proven track record for such therapies.

“Previously, we dealt with 270 patients per year. Since the war, this has increased dramatically to 3,000.” Part of this, he said, is the increased trauma from such a long and intense war, but some of it is that soldiers are shifting to being more ready to seek treatment earlier on after experiencing trauma.

He said some soldiers have even called in from the battle zone in Gaza to set up appointments for after their release from active duty.

According to Bechor, the average time for soldiers to seek treatment after a traumatic event used to be 10 years. Today, he said the average time is closer to one to two weeks.In the past, he said, there were commanders who delegitimized receiving treatment.

However, after years of social campaigns on the issue, he said most commanders and soldiers now view receiving treatment for trauma as a normal aspect of many soldiers’ service.

His staff now includes up to 800 reservists who can provide treatment also in more peripheral parts of the country.

Bechor was questioned about allegations that both operational commanders and IDF health professionals emphasize sending soldiers back to the front as a self-evident standard of success instead of looking at the question of whether a traumatized soldier should return to combat.

He responded, arguing that there are academic studies that say that patients recover from certain categories of trauma better if they return to their normal activities, including soldiers.

Further, he cited studies stating that many of those traumatized by the Yom Kippur War were pulled out of military service and that many of them fared more poorly than those who returned to service.

Such conclusions are hard to prove, given that who returns and does not return to service can also be self-selecting and self-confirming of one view or another, but they are still serious arguments to contend with.

Next, he was pressed further about whether returning traumatized soldiers to combat in a much longer war, like the current one, where there is an increased chance of cumulative trauma, is still a wise move, especially in light of an escalating suicide rate for reservists.

He responded, recognizing the unique nature of the current extra-long war and its impact on the suicide rate. “We have to do our best in this very complex situation. We need to carry out treatment mid-war and be on guard for symptoms of being under desperate stress, which increases the rate of suicide,” he said. “Most of the soldiers who took their lives had not been identified by the military therapists or other parts of the health care system. In contrast, when someone in danger of potential suicide comes to a professional, we can deal with it. This is why we talk to the media, to increase awareness,” stated Bechor.

He also noted there is an emergency 24/7 hotline, *6990, followed by the #4, to call for military therapists if a soldier needs immediate help and cannot wait for a business hours appointment.

Bechor was also asked about the recent high-profile court martial of Givati soldiers who had served over 300 days through traumas and were almost thrown in military jail when they requested to be reassigned to desk jobs instead of serving in Gaza because of their emotional trauma.

Being unable to address the specific case, he responded to the general problem, saying, “Commanders are not perfect. We are not 100% right, now. We have lost commanders and soldiers, and we see burnout. The commanders are speaking about this more openly – encouraging people to seek treatment and demonstrating by personal example.

These are processes that did not happen in the past. Five years ago, many soldiers were embarrassed if they spoke to an army therapist or psychologist for treatment,” he added.

“Now it is completely different, and it is not just because there is a more significant burden on soldiers due to the longer war. There are also deeper changes in Israel and in the IDF socially. I see this every day. We get calls all the time. We are always asking how we can do better. And every episode needs to be reviewed.”

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-863226