Both regular and career soldiers presented the highest increase in necessity for mental health support after two years of war, Maccabi Healthcare’s “Israel Health Index 2025” highlighted in a document published on Wednesday.
The index combines a survey of the public conducted after two years of fighting, objective medical data from Maccabi’s information systems covering about 2.7 million members, and trends in healthcare consumption and digital tool use.
It is divided into three chapters: a broad health survey examining perceptions, feelings, and health habits; medical and morbidity data based on objective information from Maccabi’s databases; and consumer and digital data focusing on the use of healthcare services, applications, and medical information sources.
Survey findings show that 62% of the public report very good or excellent health, up from pre-war levels.
Only 9% define their health status as poor or fair, a significantly lower rate than the peak recorded shortly after the October 7 events. At the same time, the index points to a worrying record in the need for mental health support.
Some 32% of Israelis say they feel a need for professional mental health assistance, the highest figure since tracking began.
Israel mental health crisis hits record righ in 2025 report
Among regular and career soldiers, the picture is even more severe, with 39% reporting a need for mental health support, 26% expressing concern about depression, and 48% reporting sleep disturbances. In addition, 17% of the public describes their mental state as fair or poor, a higher rate than in the prewar period.
Forty-seven percent of the public reported a high or very high level of adherence to a healthy lifestyle, up about 15 percentage points from the prewar period. By contrast, sedentary behavior remains widespread: the average Israeli sits for 8.2 hours per day, and one in five sits for more than 11 hours.
About one-third do not engage in any aerobic physical activity. Smoking trends show a deterioration, with 30% of smokers reporting that they increased their smoking compared to the previous year. According to Maccabi data, about 2.5 million sports training sessions were booked in 2025 through the UpApp application.
The most frequently booked activity was Pilates, followed by gym workouts and yoga. The most popular days for training are Sunday and Wednesday, and the busiest month is July.
The data also indicate a 7% increase in winter morbidity during the 2024-2025 season compared to the previous year. The number of births fell by 4% compared to 2024. In preventive medicine, breast cancer screening rates remained stable, while cervical cancer screening rates increased slightly.
In 2025, hundreds of thousands of packages of obesity treatment injections, Wegovy and Mounjaro, were purchased by more than 100,000 Maccabi members. At the same time, bariatric surgeries declined by 17%. The most common medical diagnosis among family physicians and pediatricians in 2025 was upper respiratory tract infection.
Some 57% of the public turn to the Internet to search for medical information, 50% consult physicians and medical staff, 44% rely on health fund and hospital websites, and 32% use artificial intelligence tools to search for medical information.
Only 21% report high trust in AI-based recommendations, while one-third of respondents say they do not trust these tools at all. Regarding influenza vaccination, 40% of respondents reported they have never been vaccinated, and only 4% are considering vaccination this year.
Deputy CEO and head of the Health Division at Maccabi Healthcare Services Dr. Eran Rotman said the index data reveal that, alongside some improvement in perceived health, a persistent mental distress stands out, expressed in a growing need for support, sleep problems, and even an increase in smoking.
“These findings indicate that the coping process is not yet over and underscore the need to expand mental health responses, invest resources, and listen to the signs of strain appearing in the system.”