A new survey by the Physicians for Human Rights Association reveals the signs of the emotional and mental distress of Israelis • A sharp jump in antidepressants and anxiety medications and painkillers
Increase in painkiller consumption
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A year for Corona: The
public in Israel is showing signs of emotional and mental distress - an increase in the consumption of antidepressants and anxiety medications, painkillers, smoking, alcohol and weight gain.
This emerges from a new survey by the Physicians for Human Rights Association on the anniversary of the outbreak of the corona plague.
The survey was conducted online by i-Panel among a representative sample of 610 Israeli citizens, Arabs and Jews.
The data show that every tenth Israeli in the past year has taken antidepressant or anxiety pills (Ciprofloxacin, Prozac, etc.), 42% of whom have taken the drug for the first time or in a higher dose than before.
Of those who consumed a higher dose in the past year or who first took antidepressants and anxiety medications, a higher rate of men (53.6%) compared to women (34.1%) and a particularly high rate among Arabs (61.1%) compared to Jews (35.3%).
There has also been a worrying increase in those who have taken painkillers in the past year.
Of the 30.2% who indicated that they had been prescribed painkillers by a doctor in the past year, 37.5% indicated that they had taken a higher amount than before or that they had taken painkillers for the first time.
Also, the corona crisis caused a sharp increase in smoking rates.
About 34% of smokers indicated that in the past year they had increased the quota of cigarettes they consumed, and only 13% reported that they smoked less.
Participants' diet and exercise habits were also severely impaired.
About one-fifth of respondents (19.2%) indicated that the diet they consume today is less healthy than a year ago.
The Physicians for Human Rights Association said that "the picture that emerges from the survey is of great distress. Although in some indices we see greater harm among the Arab population, but warning signs exist among the general population. The increase in alcohol use, smoking, "An expression of the mental difficulty. To this are added the economic and health problems, which lead to a dramatic damage to the physical and mental health of the population."
