New study finds widespread post-traumatic stress symptoms among children, wives of IDF reservists

Nearly one-third of young children in Israeli reserve-duty families meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while three-quarters display significant trauma symptoms, according to a new study of 2,500 families of IDF reservists with children under the age of seven.

The study, published Wednesday by Professor Ruth Feldman, head of the Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience at Reichman University's Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, highlights the psychological toll the ongoing wars have taken on reservists, their spouses and especially their young children.

Feldman warned that unless trauma-focused treatment becomes a national priority, the long-term consequences will extend far beyond individual families.

“Reservist families are paying the highest emotional and family price,” Feldman said. “Their children are paying, and will continue to pay, a very high emotional and physiological price unless we provide trauma-focused treatment. Without intervention, the consequences will accompany Israeli society for years.”

Feldman's research found that 75% of children in the families studied displayed subclinical post-traumatic stress symptoms, while 31.4% met the criteria for full PTSD.

Among young children, symptoms included bedwetting, excessive clinginess, increased crying, nightmares, sleep disturbances, emotional dysregulation, aggression, developmental regression, social withdrawal, difficulty forming relationships and loss of trust.

Feldman warned that children aged 4 to 7 are at the greatest risk, as many parents mistakenly assume they do not understand what is happening around them.

“Many parents think children don't understand what's happening around them,” she said. “They do understand, but they don't yet have the tools to express their distress. Instead of talking, they begin wetting the bed, clinging to parents, refusing to go to preschool or having trouble sleeping.”

She added that quiet and withdrawn children are among those most likely to be overlooked.

“A child who sits alone, doesn't play and doesn't form social connections can remain under the radar,” Feldman said. “Those are precisely the children who need professional intervention. Without treatment, their condition is likely to worsen, increasing the risk of depression.”

The research also found high rates of trauma among parents. Among reserve-duty fathers, 35% reported clinical or subclinical trauma symptoms, with 21% meeting the criteria for PTSD. Among mothers married to IDF reservists, 42% reported clinical or subclinical symptoms and 28% met the criteria for PTSD.

The study found a strong connection between parents' mental health and their children's well-being, with mothers' mental health playing a particularly significant role. Children whose mothers met the criteria for PTSD were three times more likely to develop PTSD symptoms themselves.

The prolonged reserve service has also strained marriages and family relationships, with many fathers struggling to readjust to home life after extended deployments.

“Over the past year we've seen many more couples seeking separation,” Feldman said. “Some fathers struggle to communicate, and children sometimes reject contact during the first days after they return. Some fathers feel their families have learned to manage without them and no longer need them. They don't know how to find their place again.”

The university's Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience launched a free psychological support program for reserve-duty families shortly after the Oct. 7 attack.

The initiative provides online counseling to reservists and their spouses through eight psychologists. Although the program is funded by Jewish organizations abroad, Feldman said the Israeli government must play a much larger role in supporting these families.

“Every day I am amazed by the price these families are paying, and by the courage of people who repeatedly leave to defend all of us while leaving behind spouses and young children,” she said. “Only greater awareness may persuade those responsible for public health to invest far more resources in helping these families.”

The findings build on earlier research documenting the war's psychological impact. In 2024, an academic study estimated that around half a million Israelis could potentially develop PTSD as a result of the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre and the subsequent wars.