More than 300,000 applications to ARAN in 2025

In 2025, the ARAN association received 308,903 inquiries, calls and messages from people who chose not to be left alone with what hurts them. The total number is similar to 2024, but the composition has changed – and this change tells a broader story about the past year about Israeli society.

According to the annual report of the Aran association, loneliness became the main reason for the appeal. 40.1% of inquiries in 2025 dealt with loneliness, compared to only 28.9% the previous year. Within one year, loneliness increased by more than 11 percent, becoming the most dominant factor in requests for mental help. She overcame depression and anxiety, and became the main conversation on the helpline.

22.3% of referrals dealt with mental pain, depression and acute mental distress – a decrease compared to 28.5% in 2024. Referrals classified as anxiety, trauma and loss also decreased from 14.4% to 10%. At the same time, almost a fifth of the applicants talked about difficulties in interpersonal relationships – marriage, parenting and social relationships.

The numbers do not point to the disappearance of distress, but to a change in its pattern: less talk about extreme events, more feeling of detachment, distance and emotional erosion. Also, about 4.3% reported violence and sexual abuse. There was also an increase in inquiries with suicidal content. In 2025, 7,361 such applications were received, compared to 6,321 in 2024.

Among children, teenagers and young people up to the age of 24, 67,665 applications were received – an increase of 9.35% compared to the previous year (5,787 applications). In this group, mental pain, depression and acute mental distress (27%) and difficulties in interpersonal relationships (26.4%) stand out. More than a fifth of young people’s inquiries dealt with loneliness, and this rate increased compared to 2024. 3.5% of young people’s inquiries included suicidal content.

About 90,000 applications came from regular and reserve soldiers. Almost every second of their inquiries – 42% – dealt with loneliness. Mental pain, depression and acute mental distress make up 21.3% of the referrals, of which less than 1% of the referrals included suicidal content, and reflect a significant emotional burden that has built up over time, sometimes due to burnout, the accumulation of difficult experiences, fatigue and a lack of adequate recovery between rounds.

55% of the applicants were women and 45% men – an increase in the proportion of men who applied for assistance compared to the previous year. About 1,800 volunteers answered all inquiries.

The CEO of ARAN, David Koren, added that “the sharp increase in the feeling of loneliness and emotional burden among young people, soldiers and other populations reflects a deep need for listening and human presence. ARAN is there for every evacuee 24 hours a day, but the data emphasize how much the responsibility for mental health is a national task that requires strengthening support systems and continued investment in resources.”

The national professional director of ARAN, Dr. Shiri Daniels, stated that “We are dealing with a complex social and emotional reality of repeated transitions between emergency and routine. It is precisely during this period that significant forces of resilience are revealed, and the choice to seek help is an expression of courage and the ability to deal with crises.” According to her, the decrease in the rate of referrals classified as anxiety, trauma and loss almost to their level before October 7, 2023 may reflect a process of relative stabilization after periods of emotional flooding.

If you or someone close to you is experiencing distress – the ERAN association provides a life-saving mental first aid service 24/7 to anyone, of any age, in any type of distress. Assistance is provided anonymously and immediately. To receive mental assistance, call 1201, on WhatsApp 052-8451201, on the ERAN website eran.org.il.