Nearly Half of Israelis Say They Have Taken Financial Hit From Coronavirus Pandemic

Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Thursday published information on the psychological effects of the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdown on the country’s population.

According to the data, 34.3% of Israelis reported feeling stress and anxiety as a result of the pandemic and social-distancing rules.

Some 23.5% reported feeling lonely and isolated, with 16.2% experiencing depression.

Of those ages 21 and older, 22.5% said their mental health had declined during the crisis, and 5.4% said this also had physiological effects. Among parents, 25.8% said their children’s mental health had suffered, and 22.6% said relationships between family members worsened.

The results also showed widespread general anxiety among Israelis, with 55.7% worried about contracting the disease and 50.3% worried about meeting their expenses as a result of the economic situation.

Some 46.1% said their financial situation had worsened since the pandemic hit and 14.1% said they or family members had reduced the amount of food they ate each week for financial reasons.

The statistics showed widespread compliance with the lockdown regulations, however, with more than 80% saying they were following Health Ministry guidelines. Some 38% said they trusted the government to deal with the crisis, and another 33.6% expressed trust “to some extent.”

Trust in local authorities is higher than in the national government, with 46.9% saying they trust them and another 32.2% trusting them “to some extent.”