The next crisis is mental health but the tech is step by step

“Sometimes he’s gone for weeks,” says Galette, a clinical dietician and mother of two whose husband served more than 200 days in reserve duty. “When he comes back, it’s a bonus, but you can’t build your life around it.” With children out of school and at home, a declining income, and increasing pressures at home, Galette found herself increasingly isolated. “I told my friends I was struggling,” she said. I heard, ‘Why are you worried? He is good.’ It made me feel like I was complaining too much.”

Galette finally found a place where she could talk without feeling guilty, at Dougry, an online platform for caring women to create structured, anonymous peer support communities to process mental health issues. “At first, I just needed a place where I could talk without feeling guilty,” she said. “There, I felt understood. No judgment.” Within days, she was not only sharing but also responding to others. Women hang out at midnight; Others responded within minutes, not with clinical advice, but with recognition: “I’m going through the same thing.”

Galit’s experience reflects the national mental health emergency that few had before the war as emergency treatment. Israel has entered into conflict with a mental health system that is already weakened, not only under-resourced but only reactive in its approach. It quickly became clear that traditional care models could not meet the scale of the need. Recent data reflect this: many children show symptoms of anxiety, while a large portion of the population reports sleep disturbance and high anxiety.

“We knew we weren’t talking about a small group, we were talking about everyone,” explains Michel Schmuel, acting director of mental health and wellness at the JDC in Israel. “It’s not just about clinical conditions or specific demographics; it’s an issue that touches almost every one of us in different ways.”

The need was pervasive, in everyday life, in people’s ability to function, cope, and survive in their communities. The COVID-19 pandemic had already led to increased demand, proving that mental health and well-being were no longer a marginal issue but a building block of global public health. By the time the fighting began on October 7, this understanding had already begun to shape JDC operations, broadening the lens from targeted care for the wounded to a response focused on millions of Israelis.

To address this, the JDC is building a national mental health response that combines multiple layers: large-scale community programs, standardization to ensure best practices across the country, and early detection, all combined with advanced digital tools. It is important to understand that technology is not a substitute for human care, but a vital part of a wider system of practices.

Digital solutions expand access while shifting the paradigm from reactive care to preventive support. This effort is led by JDC’s dedicated Mental Health and Wellness Division, which works to identify and scale solutions that maintain the highest professional standards while reaching the largest possible audience.

A major result of this approach is Nafshi, a national platform that brings together hundreds of free and low-cost mental health and wellness services into a single system that is tailored to different populations and languages. Since its launch in late 2023, Nafshi has recorded more than 200,000 visits since the start of the current conflict with Iran, 50,000 visits, in addition to an additional 100,000 who have used JDC’s digital emergency resources, including other mental health solutions.

Another layer of solutions leverages technology for human connection through platforms like Dougry, used by Galette as he manages the stress of battle. It is not a cure, but a guided conversation between people who share similar experiences. In some cases, the platform has even served as the first line of intervention for those exhibiting severe anxiety.

“People who have been through the same thing understand each other without having to explain everything,” says Yotam Dagan, clinical psychologist and founder of Dogri. He noted that the scale of the current crisis requires moving beyond the clinic: “There were not enough professionals, and there will not be enough. We needed a broad, systemic response, and fast.”

Complementing this is the TOKO platform, which brings individuals together for ongoing, AI-guided sessions, where peer-to-peer conversations are designed to build flexibility and well-being without relying on traditional therapy. As JDC’s Michelle Schmoll notes, “What we saw was that people don’t just need therapy. They need connection, they need to feel they’re not alone. By leveraging the unique benefits of technology, we ensure that the human element of connection remains central to every solution we offer.”

The effect of these tools is not only emotional but preventive. Research shows that early support and community connections can significantly reduce the risk of long-term disorders. Broadly speaking, platforms like Daghri are targeted for what Israelis experience. By analyzing anonymous conversations in communities, patterns emerge, depression, anger, boredom, and difficulty returning to normality.

“It’s like a barometer,” Dagan said. “You can see what’s going on beneath the surface.” This information is central to JDC’s larger approach to solving this crisis. The development of data-driven tools, including national dashboards, allows decision-makers in the medical system, social sector and government to track needs in real time and respond accordingly. This ensures that the answer is not just a collection of apps, but a coherent national system that can adapt to Israel’s changing needs.

The challenge ahead is not temporary. The war may be over, but the psychological impact is just beginning. There are hundreds of thousands of people who simply cannot return to a normal life. JDC’s approach therefore extends beyond emergency response. It combines many layers; Prevention, community, infrastructure and information in long-term efforts to build national well-being and resilience. This requires deep coordination across sectors: public, private and social.

“In many places, friendship is a slogan,” Schmoll said. “Here, that’s the only way it works.” JDC’s emergency response efforts work in close partnership with the government and are made possible by generous support provided by the Jewish Federations of North America and local Jewish federations, individuals, families, foundations, and corporations.

As Israel moves into the next phase of the war and beyond, the front lines are shifting. From borders to homes. Physical to emotional. The answer is made accordingly: not only in the clinics, but in the code; Not only by professionals, but by communities. Because in this war, the question now is not whether the support of the people is needed, it is whether the system will reach them in time.