Soldiers flee abroad for therapy

Thousands of Israeli reservists are traveling to foreign countries to receive mental health treatment from private nonprofit organizations. These veterans completed long combat deployments in the months following the start of the war. They report that the Israeli Defense Forces and the Defense Ministry are struggling to provide adequate support.

Military records show that more than 7,000 soldiers have been officially recognized as having psychological disabilities resulting from their service. Most of these are combat troops. Estimates from the IDF and the Defense Ministry suggest that tens of thousands more, primarily reservists, will develop post-traumatic stress disorder in the coming years.

Reservists describe a sharp difference in care between regular soldiers and reserve personnel. Regular soldiers receive ongoing support, while reservists often get limited help only near the end of a deployment. Some military sources say the IDF considers its duty complete once a reservist returns to civilian life. These soldiers then face a bureaucracy and thin support services largely on their own.

One source familiar with the issue stated that the IDF should have initiated a process with private bodies to minimize gaps in diagnosis and treatment. The source said it would have been preferable for the military to work closely with these groups to keep standards of care consistent.

The IDF Medical Corps operates the Ta'atzumot Clinic and the Combat Stress Reaction Unit. The Ta'atzumot Clinic reports that about 65 percent of its patients return to service. The IDF clarified that this figure covers only patients treated at that specific clinic, not all soldiers with post-traumatic symptoms.

The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said the military has expanded capacity and quality of services since the war began. New clinics have opened across Israel, and a 24-hour hotline operates seven days a week. The military also uses structured debriefing sessions to identify soldiers who need help immediately after operational deployments.

The Combat Stress Reaction Unit has treated more than 5,000 new patients. It has widened access in northern and southern Israel. The IDF introduced a framework called the Service Cycle, which treats reserve service as an ongoing annual commitment rather than a single period of mobilization.