Israeli adolescents and military service: encounters

Problems of mental health during combat activities are well documented in Israel (Dasberg, 1976). Much less attention has been paid to the problems of the young soldier who enters army life in Israel. This paper delineates some areas of friction and vulnerability between the worlds of the youth and the military. These encounters are systematized into groups, creating the "Binary Model." This model, based on the authors' experience as clinicians in the I.D.F. Central Mental Health Clinic, helps in locating and treating young soldiers in crisis situations.