October 10 is World Mental Health Day. Its goal is to draw public attention to the problems associated with the mental state of a person and the need to support people with such diseases. The World Mental Health Day also aims to support people who do not have mental disorders but are going through difficult times and need willpower and resilience to cope with life's challenges.
In May 2022, at the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program "Are You OK?" was launched in Ukraine, unprecedented in its scale and benefits, and became a provider of quality and affordable mental health services for the population.
On the occasion of this significant date, the Community Day "Touches of Support - I Stand Through Connection with Other People" was held today in offline and online formats, attended by representatives of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, heads and specialists of healthcare institutions, and representatives of public organizations.
In his address to the participants of the event, Yuriy Vinokurov, First Deputy Head of Donetsk Oblast State Administration, said:
"Mental health is a resource that helps people live, adapt and recover. At the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, the mental health program "How are you?" was launched in Donetsk Oblast, as well as throughout Ukraine, and it includes the work of all departments, divisions and utilities of the Donetsk Oblast State Administration. This year, the key focus was the idea of "Touches of Support". It aims to show that simple everyday actions - a hug, a kind look, a smile - are a powerful resource for both each person and their environment."
Tetyana Kirsanova, a practical psychologist and director of the Pokrovsk City Center for Social Services in Donetsk Oblast, and Olena Kharchevna, coordinator of the Hibuki Therapy project in Donetsk Oblast, presented classes on psychological support for children who have experienced traumatic events related to the war using Hibuki therapy.
The event, moderated by Ilona Kyslytska, Advisor to the Head of the Regional State Administration on Mental Health, featured speeches by Olena Marchenko, Deputy Director of the Health Department of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Yulia Burtseva, Acting Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Regional State Administration, Anatoliy Nemchenko, Head of the Selydivsk City Military Administration, and other officials.
Anna Chasovnykova, a clinical psychologist of the highest category, conducted a training for all participants on the topic "The power of warm actions: touch, conversation, the feeling of "I am there" on psychological support for employees in the concept of the "I AM MARIUPOL" support centers.
Natalia Slyvka, co-chair of the Thematic Working Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support for War Veterans, shared her experience of the work of the Thematic Working Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support of Ukraine.
On the same day, leaders and representatives of teams in Donetsk Oblast who are actively helping citizens overcome the traumatic effects of war and strengthen mental health were awarded.