Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
The IDF opened a new mental health center on Thursday aimed at treating soldiers leaving Gaza. The center was opened because the Israel Defense Forces believes its soldiers are at increased risk of becoming victims of PTSD due to their combat experiences.
“The War of the Iron Sword posed significant challenges to the IDF mental health system, both in terms of quality and scope. It represents IDF’s commitment to providing answers to current and emerging challenges. As part of the center’s establishment, new answers will be discovered and established that adapt to the special needs of the diverse population serving IDF. ” said Dr. Col. Jacob Rothschild, director of the new center.
The military says more than 30,000 soldiers have met with mental health personnel since the war began. They say about 85% of soldiers who met with experts returned to full military service. Unfortunately, 202 combatants were forced to decommit, mostly due to the horrific scenes they witnessed after the October 7 massacre. This includes an additional 1,700 of his people referred for further scans and treatment.
On the day of the massacre, Hamas terrorists rampaged through southern Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis and taking over 250 hostages. First responders’ reports described scenes of decapitations and mutilated bodies by terrorists.
The new center, located at the Tel Hashomer base, will be staffed by some of the country’s top psychologists and will also include an immediate combat response and post-trauma division, the IDF said. This will replace a temporary facility set up at his WeWork office in Tel Aviv.
30,000 soldiers have met with mental health professionals since the war began, and the IDF said it was “pleasantly surprised” that the vast majority ultimately returned to the military. There is.
Lt. Col. Elon Glasberg, Chief Medical Officer of the IDF Medical Corps, said in a statement regarding the outbreak of the war: Given the importance of this issue, we have chosen it as one of our main focuses recently and are currently working on expanding it. ”
