[Hebrew University] — A sweeping national study conducted by the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health (ICAMH), at Hebrew University of Jerusalem has revealed a troubling rise in substance use, behavioral addictions, and mental health disorders in the Israeli population since the October 7, 2023 attacks and the Swords of Iron war.

The report, titled “Prevalence of Substance and Behavioral Addictions and Common Mental Health Disorders in Israel, 2022–2025,” presents data from three nationally representative samples collected before and after the crisis: April 2022 (pre-war), December 2023 (post-attack), and February 2025 (approximately one year later). The findings provide an unprecedented longitudinal look at the psychological effects of war and trauma across a general population.

Produced by a multidisciplinary team of psychologists and mental health researchers from ICAMH at Hebrew University, the report is authored by Dr. Dvora Shmulewitz, PhD student Maor Levitin, Dr. Vera Skvirsky, Merav Vider, Prof. Shaul Lev-Ran, and Prof. Mario Mikulincer — all affiliated with ICAMH.

Findings: A Nation Under Chronic Psychological Stress
The data reveal substantial increases in:

• Prescription sedative use
• Nonmedical opioid consumption
• Problematic internet use
• PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms

According to prevalence estimates:

• Problematic use of any substance or any behavior reached over 15% of the population by early 2025.
• The highest increase in substance-related problems occurred between April 2022 and December 2023, coinciding with the immediate aftermath of the attacks and wartime mobilization.
• Some addictions (e.g. to social media, gambling, and pornography) spiked acutely post-October 7 but later receded, while others (notably sedative and opioid misuse) continued to rise into 2025.

Younger, Secular Populations Most at Risk
The report highlights pronounced sociodemographic disparities:

• Younger adults (ages 18–34) consistently showed the highest rates of addiction and mental health symptoms.
• Men were at greater risk than women for substance and behavioral addictions, particularly in areas like cannabis use, pornography, and compulsive sexual behavior.
• Secular and Traditional Jews exhibited higher prevalence rates than Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox populations, especially in behavioral addictions (e.g. gaming, internet use) and PTSD.
• Ultra-Orthodox participants, however, reported higher rates of prescription sedative use than their secular counterparts.

These subgroup distinctions were statistically modeled using logistic regression, controlling for age, gender, and religiosity across repeated samples.

Evolving Trends and Post-War Mental Health
One of the study’s most urgent findings is that some mental health indicators have not returned to baseline, even more than a year after the onset of hostilities. Key takeaways:

• PTSD rates rose sharply after October 7 and have remained elevated in 2025.
• Symptoms of depression and anxiety followed a similar trajectory, suggesting the persistence of wartime psychological burdens well beyond the peak of conflict.
• Behavioral addictions like gambling and social media use, in contrast, normalized more quickly.

These patterns suggest that certain forms of trauma-related distress may entrench themselves over time, requiring sustained national mental health responses.

Methodological Rigor and Policy Relevance
The study is based on a repeated cross-sectional survey of Jewish adults in Israel, with a longitudinal subset. The research design enables both population-level prevalence estimates and within-person analysis over time — a methodological strength rarely seen in post-conflict mental health research.

By tracking how addictions and psychiatric symptoms evolve through and beyond a national trauma, the report provides critical data for public health policy, resource allocation, and intervention strategies targeting high-risk groups.