Caring for Israel’s reservists and their families is an economic imperative |
When Israeli reservists return home from their military service, re-entering civilian life is often no simple matter. Coming back to their families, communities, and workplaces, they are altered by experiences and even trauma that leave a lasting impact, often invisible but nonetheless deeply felt. While the impact of the war on the reservists and the psychological scars they carry is widely acknowledged, the urgent need to deal with them may not be.
Related story: Over half of soldiers treated in rehab centers have mental health issues, stats show
Assisting reservists in coping with trauma and rebuilding their lives is not just a social imperative, but an economic one as well. Indeed, a growing body of evidence shows that many reservists struggle not only with reintegration in the social sphere, but in the workplace as well. Recent research reveals that the indirect cost of mental-trauma cases in Israel, driven in part by wartime service and its aftermath, is estimated at NIS 60 billion a year, and projections put the five-year........