[THE USE OF AMBULATORY PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES AMONG THE ISRAELI POPULATION FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER 7 TERROR ATTACKS AND IRON SWORDS WAR].

BACKGROUND: On October 7, 2023, operation "Iron Swords" erupted following a barbaric terror attack, resulting in over 1,200 casualties, with more than 250 individuals, abducted. The aftermath of this slaughter led to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands from their homes in both the south and north of Israel. This situation triggered an unprecedented surge in the request for mental health support as reported by health funds and helplines. Global observations of large-scale traumatic events indicate increased usage of mental health services. The question then arises regarding the scope of services required in response to the mega-atrocity of October 7. OBJECTIVES: To chart the utilization of psychiatric clinical treatment services in Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 attack. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort analysis using the electronic database from the research division of Clalit Health Services. We performed a comparative charting of mental health clinic treatments among individuals aged 15 and above, focusing on October-December 2023. These data were then compared to corresponding months over the previous five years (2018-2022). RESULTS: From October to December 2023, there was a 23.2% increase in the requests for mental health clinic treatments, compared to the same period in 2022. This surge extends a continuing upward trend in the utilization of mental health services observed since 2018. CONCLUSIONS: The study results emphasize the necessity for a responsive and flexible mental health system, to address immediate and long-term psychiatric care needs. The insights derived from these data are crucial for policymakers and clinicians to restructure mental health services, aiming to enhance the quality and accessibility of care for the Israeli population. DISCUSSION: The consistent rise in utilization of clinical mental health services significantly intensified following October 7, 2023. This echoes trends observed in global studies, underscoring the profound and enduring effects of traumatic experiences on mental health. These insights highlight the necessity for ongoing, high-quality therapeutic services and underscores the critical need for strategic policy development and increased investment in mental health services.

Adherence of patients with schizophrenia to hypothyroidism treatment.

Adherence to prescription medications is critical for both remission from schizophrenia and control of physical comorbidities. While schizophrenia with comorbid hypothyroidism is common, there is little research on adherence to hypothyroidism treatment in this population. The current study used a retrospective, matched case-control design. The cohort included 1,252 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10 and 3,756 controls matched for gender, age, socioeconomic status and ethnicity without diagnosis of schizophrenia. All data were retrieved from the electronic medical database of a large health maintenance organization. Retrieved data included demographics, thyroid functionality test results and prescribed medications. Measures of adherence to therapy were used for analyses as were data from follow-ups of patients with hypothyroidism. A diagnosis of hypothyroidism was found in 299 patients, 115 of whom were also diagnosed with schizophrenia. The 184 without schizophrenia constituted the control group. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups regarding prescriptions for L-thyroxin and TSH levels and number of TSH tests. Adherence of patients with schizophrenia to hypothyroidism treatment was found to be as good as that of individuals without a schizophrenia diagnosis.