A mental health and psychological support service has been established in the Donetsk region and continues to be provided to the public. As part of this service, a “Mental Health Awareness Month” was held. The final meeting, held in a hybrid format—both online and offline—brought together medical professionals, psychologists, educators, and volunteers from the Donetsk region. Representatives from all 46 territorial communities in the Donetsk region, relevant departments of the regional state administration, and all those involved in mental health issues joined the event.
Participants discussed mental health, inner strength, support, caring for oneself and those around us, and seeking help when needed.
Yuriy Vinokurov, First Deputy Head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, addressed the audience: “Caring for mental health today is no less important than caring for physical health. After all, a person’s inner resilience is the foundation of their ability to live, work, support their family, help the country, build the future, and work in their communities.”
Olena Marchenko, Director of the Health Department of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, noted: “Mental health is the foundation of our resilience. And today, our shared task is to ensure that people are not afraid to talk about their experiences and know that they are not alone.”
Mental Health Awareness Month was launched in May 1949 in the United States at the initiative of the nonprofit organization Mental Health America. Since then, the world has been conducting awareness campaigns during this time to reduce stigma and promote psychological well-being.
In 2022, in response to the growing mental health needs of the population due to the war, the Ukrainian government launched the nationwide mental health program “How Are You?” at the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska. The program’s main goal is to teach Ukrainians to take care of their inner well-being, overcome war-related stress, and make caring for mental health a daily habit.
Together with the event’s host, Ilona Kyslytska—an expert on mental health from the Department of Health and an advisor to the head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration—the meeting discussed psychological support provided through healthcare facilities and Resilience Centers, as well as scientific approaches to delivering psychological care.
They also discussed how taking care of one’s mental well-being is a basic daily need, not a weakness, and the importance of finding inner strength and meaning to help overcome stress, face today’s challenges, and maintain resilience.
At the regional level in the Donetsk Oblast, a team of specialists is working on the implementation and support of the program. Specifically, each community has a designated coordinator. Three new coordinators were added this year alone.
Working with a specialist can help you understand your emotional state and maintain your mental health. This is just as important as taking care of your physical health. The healthcare system provides access to mental health services at various levels—from primary care to specialized care.
Today, residents and internally displaced persons in the Donetsk region can contact a family doctor, mental health centers, or specialized institutions. These services are free; the state covers the costs.
Qualified assistance is also available at four Community Resilience Centers in the Donetsk region. In Kyiv, the Mangush and Mykolaiv Community Resilience Centers are operational; in Dnipro, the Pokrov and Mariupol Community Resilience Centers; and in Lviv, the Sartana Community Resilience Center.
This year, the national “Health Screening 40+” program was launched, which is aimed, in particular, at the early detection of mental health issues. It is already available at 16 healthcare facilities in the Donetsk region.
During the final meeting, a panel discussion was held titled “Peer-to-Peer Approach and Scaled Psychological Interventions: From Science to Practice in the Veteran Support System.”
Panel speakers:
- Iryna Pinchuk, Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Director of the Institute of Psychiatry at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, President of the Ukrainian Psychiatric Association;
- Stanislav Chumak, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Senior Research Fellow, Head of the Center for Mental Health of Veterans and Their Families at the Institute of Psychiatry of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
- Oleksii Kovalevskyi, veteran, Master of Psychology, peer counselor, leading specialist at the Institute of Psychiatry of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Mental health is the foundation of a person’s resilience. Taking care of yourself is not a weakness; asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of; supporting others is extremely important. With these words, the participants concluded the “Mental Health Awareness Month” event.