05/26/2026
At the beginning of this month, the world marked Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week — a reminder that pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery are not only physical experiences, but deeply emotional ones.
In Israel today, that reality is even more complex.
A new Israeli study found that 44% of pregnant women whose partners were called up for reserve duty reported symptoms of clinical depression. The study also found that women whose partners served in active reserves were at significantly higher risk of clinical depression, and that postpartum women in these families experienced greater difficulty in early bonding with their babies.
One protective factor stood out clearly: social support.
For many women in Israel, reserve duty means doctor’s appointments alone, parenting alone, recovering from birth alone, and carrying the emotional weight of war inside the home.
Through WIZO’s Homefront Heroes programs, women and families of reservists receive emotional support, group spaces, professional guidance, and tools to cope with the ongoing pressure of reserve-family life.
When a reservist is called up, the whole family is affected.
If you want to be part of supporting Israeli women, men and children, DM us or contact your local WIZO branch.
