Israel government was aware of mental health damage to population from lockdowns early on

A recent survey conducted by Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has revealed alarming data about the mental health of over a million citizens in the midst of the government's response to COVID. The survey, which questioned 6,500 people aged 20 and over, showed that 19 percent reported their mental health had worsened during the crisis. 

The survey was released this week and was conducted in 2022 as part of CBS's annual survey on health. The report also revealed that 17% of the population over 20 reported a decrease in their overall health. 

The survey is based on respondents' answers and not on medical data, but the increase in mental health problems has been identified in other more direct medical data. 

For example, an increase in eating disorders among teenagers in Israel was also observed during COVID. In 2019, before COVID, 64 people were hospitalized for eating disorders at Sheba Medical Center. By March 2021 that number had jumped to 124 patients — almost doubling.

Another Israeli study examined over 200,000 adolescents' medical records from 2016 to 2021. The data from Maccabi, the largest HMO in Israel, found the incidence of depression increased by 36% during COVID among 12–17-year-olds. 

The same study also revealed a 25% increase in dispensation of antidepressants and a 28% increase in antipsychotics during the same period. The mental health crisis is not just a perception, but a reality.

The Israeli government was well aware of the damage being done to the mental health of its population early on. In a Knesset committee hearing in April 2020 mental health experts warned of a coming mental health crisis, foreseeing increased anxiety, depression, and suicides.

The committee heard from the Chairman of the Association of Psychiatry, Dr. Zvi Fishel who said, "Some of the anxiety we see is fueled from the top down and reinforced by the media." 

By the end of the first year of COVID, the CBS report confirmed the warnings were coming to fruition In May 2020, 20% said their mental state had worsened. That number went up to 26% in July and 30% by the end of the year. But it still did not stop the government's extreme policies or the media's panicked-driven coverage.

The Israeli public is very resilient; for decades it has withstood numerous wars, bus bombings, and more recent waves of highway shootings and rocket attacks from Arab nationalists. If there is a population that can handle a crisis without panicking, it is Israel.

But the Israeli COVID response was particularly harsh, implementing three national lockdowns, mandating masks even outdoors, prohibiting people from being more than 100 meters from home, monitoring people's cellphone location, coercing its population to participate in Pfizer's vaccine experiment, and was the first country to implement green pass restrictions. These are some of the well-known examples of how life under Israel's COVID response was more difficult than in other countries.

Still, the mental health crisis is not unique to Israel. Canadians experienced a 37.4% increase in mental health problems. In the US, an analysis found 1 in 4 adults without pre-existing mental health conditions experienced “psychological distress,” 39% anxiety, and 19% depression. The UK also documented increases of up to a third in "clinically significant levels of distress" during the COVID response.       

Could it be that COVID itself is responsible for the increase in mental health problems? A newly released study looked that very question.

Also published this week, the study looked at Israeli youth aged 12–17 to examine what connection COVID infections had on mental health up to two years after infection. It compared those who were infected with those who weren't to see which group had more subsequent mental health conditions while accounting for pre-existing psychiatric history.

It found that COVID infection was significantly associated with reduced risks for dispensation of antidepressants, anxiety, depression, and stress. The authors concluded:

This large, population-based study suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection is not associated with elevated risk for mental distress in adolescents. Our findings highlight the importance of taking a holistic view on adolescents' mental health during the pandemic, with consideration of both SARS-CoV-2 infection and response measures.

Meaning, COVID infections don't cause mental problems despite the mandatory quarantine that the COVID-positive had to endure. 

It was the response, not the virus that made people crazy. This notion, if not obvious, is supported by this study out of the UK that examined depression and anxiety in England during COVID. The study found that "more stringent policy response (measured by stringency index) was associated with increased depressive symptoms."

This week's data from the Israeli CBS has revealed, once again, a concerning rise in mental health issues during COVID. This is corroborated by other medical studies that have observed increases in eating disorders, depression, and anxiety particularly among young people. Other analysis shows that it’s not the virus itself but rather government and media's response that caused the spike in mental health issues.  

We encourage policy makers to think again when considering this strategy in the future in the hope to avoid further long-term damage to children and young people.

Authors of "Mental Health and Wellbeing in Young People in the UK during Lockdown (COVID-19)"

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