IDF suicide rate rises amid ongoing war and mass reservist call-ups

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IDF suicide rate rises amid ongoing war and mass reservist call-ups
28 soldiers have taken their lives since Oct. 7, 2023, compared to some 25 in all of 2021-2022; overall deaths are the highest in decades, with hundreds killed in Gaza and Lebanon
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-suicide-rate-rises-amid-ongoing-war-and-mass-reservist-call-ups/

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday it has seen a rise in the number of suspected suicides in the military amid the war, as it released statistics on its fatalities from the past two years.

According to data published by the IDF, 28 soldiers are believed to have died by suicide since the Hamas terror group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, starting the ongoing multi-front war. Another 10 suspected suicides took place in 2023 before the October onslaught.

The IDF also said thousands of reservist soldiers had apparently stopped serving in combat roles due to mental stress. The military did not provide any further data or details on the phenomenon.

The suicide numbers represent a sharp uptick from previous years. In 2022, the IDF recorded 14 suspected suicides, and in 2021 the number was 11.

Overall, the number of deaths in the IDF in 2023-2024 were the highest in decades due to war.

According to the IDF, 558 soldiers were killed in 2023, including 512 during operational activity and three in terror attacks.

Sixteen soldiers died in accidents — two in training, four in civilian car crashes, five in military car crashes, one as a result of an accidental weapon discharge, and four in other incidents — and 10 died of illness in 2023.

Family and friends of Israeli soldier Master Sergeant (res.) Guy Shabtay attend his funeral at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem on November 8, 2024. He died from wounds sustained in combat in southern Lebanon. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The IDF said 17 soldiers were believed to have died by suicide in 2023. They include seven conscripts, four career soldiers, and seven reservists. Seven of the suspected suicides in 2023 came after the October 7, 2023, onslaught.

In 2024 the total number of fatalities in the IDF decreased compared to the previous year, but the number of suicides rose, according to the IDF's data. The army recorded a total of 363 deaths, including 295 in operational activity and 11 in terror attacks. Twenty-three soldiers died in accidents — 17 in civilian car crashes, three in military car crashes, and three in other incidents — and 13 died of illness. At least 21 soldiers died by suspected suicide — seven conscripts, two career soldiers and 12 reservists.

The high number of reservist suicides is thought to be tied to the IDF's call-up of nearly 300,000 reservists during the war.

All of the 38 suspected suicides in 2023 and 2024 were male.

The IDF said it was working to prevent suicides in the military, including by opening a 24/7 helpline, which has received over 3,900 calls since it was established in October 2023. The IDF has also called up over 800 reservist mental health officers amid the war to help soldiers.

As a result of various prevention programs implemented throughout the years, which brought down the military suicide rate by some 75%, the IDF has historically maintained a lower suicide rate than the country in general, as well as many militaries around the world.

Suicide has plagued other armies, including the American military, which has seen more than four times as many deaths by suicide than in combat since 9/11, and the Ukrainian armed forces, which have seen some 700 deaths by suicide since 2014.

The link between military service and suicide is not clear-cut: A study of suicide rates in the United Kingdom's military, for example, found rates to be consistently lower than in the general population throughout recent decades, crediting prevention programs.

Meanwhile, a study covering some 200 years of US military records found that "combat and increased rates of suicide do not appear to be associated," and even found that prior to the Vietnam War, suicide rates among active-duty personnel appeared to go down during wars, though this has changed over the last half-century.

Since the beginning of the current war, the IDF says, 891 soldiers have died in total. They include 329 during the October 7 onslaught, at least 390 during fighting in Gaza, 37 in attacks on northern Israel, 50 during fighting inside Lebanon, and 11 in the West Bank.