Music festival survivors, victims' relatives discuss PTSD, substance abuse, mental health effects

Survivors and relatives of victims from the Nova, Mushroom, Psyduck, and Midburn music festivals, targeted in the October 7 massacre, convened at a conference in Tel Aviv Port on September 8. The event, titled "Maintaining the Balance," was organized by the Nova Tribe Community Association and the Israeli Center for Addiction and Mental Health (ICA) to address the links between trauma, substance abuse, and mental health. Over 500 attendees participated in discussions aimed at creating an open, non-judgmental space for these issues. Rif Peretz, CEO of the Nova Tribe Community Association, stated, "We understand that there is a real need within our community to talk about substance use openly, responsibly, and without judgment." Prof. Shauli Lev-Ran of ICA presented research indicating that 54% of Israelis with PTSD symptoms report problematic substance use, emphasizing that "it is impossible to treat trauma without also addressing substance abuse." The conference sought to reduce stigma and provide tools for self-assessment regarding substance use.