First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska held a meeting with regional representatives responsible for implementing the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program.
The regional coordination of the program was established in the spring of 2023 by the decision of the Interagency Coordination Council on Mental Health Protection and Provision of Psychological Assistance to Victims of the Armed Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Currently, the program is coordinated on the ground by Deputy Heads of military administrations and regional coordinators.
"We all often say that any help should start in the community, as close to the person as possible. You and your teams are the people who bring help closer to everyone. Mental health services are already becoming more accessible. You are changing that too. The services can be accessed through someone Ukrainians trust with their entire family's health – a family doctor. Family doctors trained by mhGAP can help their patients with sleep and appetite disorders, depression. And if necessary, they can refer them to a relevant specialist," Olena Zelenska said.
The participants of the meeting summarized the results of the past year.
• In each region, a separate team has been formed, consisting of Deputy Heads of regional military administrations and regional coordinators.
• The regional teams are responsible for the operational coordination of the implementation of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program on the ground. The main goal is to create comprehensive psychosocial support programs involving all sectors: healthcare, education, social sphere, employment, non-governmental sector, support groups, peer-to-peer programs, and to ensure their quality and accessibility. The teams raise awareness of the importance of mental health and disseminate self-help techniques.
• On October 10, Mental Health Day, all regions hosted awareness-raising events attended by more than 30 thousand Ukrainians.
• An important project of the regional coordination of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program was a large-scale survey of service providers and recipients. More than 114 thousand respondents were interviewed about the level of satisfaction with services, quantitative and age characteristics of potential recipients were determined, and service needs were formulated. The Kharkiv region became the leader in terms of the number of respondents – more than 16 thousand questionnaires. Among the respondents, there were 43,749 service providers from the healthcare, education, social protection, and public sectors. 50% of them reported a significant increase in workload after February 24.
Regional coordinators and Deputy Heads of regional military administrations have undergone a series of professional training sessions, including on how to interact with people with combat experience and their families. 295 training sessions have already been held, and another 377 sessions are planned by the end of the year for employees of administrative service centers, social protection services, educational institutions, and service industries.
Currently, mental health services can be provided by family doctors trained through the WHO mhGAP program. By now, one in three family doctors (more than 15,200 in total) is ready to provide such support to their patients. If necessary, they will refer the patient to a specialist – a psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist. The service is absolutely free, as it is provided within the framework of the Program of Medical Guarantees. Over 85.5 thousand individual patients have used this service this year. About 850 primary healthcare facilities have a relevant contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine. The list is available on the interactive map at the following link: https://bit.ly/40zPlA1. Similar data can be obtained from the NHSU hotline operators by calling 16-77.
"The latest data of a Gradus Research survey from October 2023 shows that the main complaints about mental health include anxiety, tension (53%) and sleep disorders (50%). This proves that all locations need their own specialists nearby – a psychologist, a professional who is comfortable and effective in communication," Olena Zelenska emphasized.
She stressed that those who implement the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program have to overcome not only the war stress of 90% of the population but also long-standing social prejudices.
"We know that older people have the most of them. But during the survey for the third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, which this year was also dedicated to mental health, we were surprised to find out that young people also avoid talking about mental health with specialists. Imagine: almost every second person aged 13-24 finds it embarrassing. 38% are concerned it may affect their reputation within their family or at work. And this is despite the fact that young people under 24, according to our research, are even more vulnerable to stress than adults. So, the key task is not just to create services, but also to invest in awareness and to overcome stigma. So that embarrassment or concerns do not become the barrier that separates a person from the service. I want to point out that you are not alone – your actions are always strengthened by the resources of the large ecosystem of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program. Please contact us, communicate, share your experience, enrich everyone with it," the President's wife added, addressing the participants of the meeting.
The First Lady underlined that support by a family doctor is the foundation that should become part of a comprehensive service for an individual, and it should also include available social, legal, employment, rehabilitation, and other assistance. These services should be integrated into a single circle of support and complement each other. The role of regional coordinators and local authorities is therefore crucial. Their efforts should scale up the existing services and fill them with new opportunities, Olena Zelenska stated.
Therefore, the main tasks for the next year include the following steps:
• Develop regional Mental Health Programs, and ensure coverage of services in all sectors: healthcare, education, defense, economic, social, culture, sports, etc.
• Continue to train service providers in all areas and identify pathways for service recipients at all levels.
The development and implementation of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program "How are you?" (https://howareu.com), initiated by First Lady Olena Zelenska, is supported by the Coordination Center for Mental Health under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with expert partnership and assistance from the WHO. The decision-making platform is the Interagency Coordination Council of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.