Mental health crisis grows in fractured country

On the same day that Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Maria Ivashchenko’s husband Pavlo volunteered to fight.

He was killed six months later during a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Kherson region, making Maria one of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who have lost loved ones in the war.

To cope with her grief, Maria has been attending therapy sessions with an organization called Volunteers. live. true love story.

At the event, widows and mothers of fallen soldiers expressed their feelings and sought solace and closure through painting. They then wrote their love story next to the painting.

Maria says drawing helps externalize and process memories and moments that people are afraid to relive.

“It’s total trust. No one is going to judge you, whether you laugh or cry,” she added. “They understand you unconditionally. There’s no need to explain anything.”

“It’s called Alive for a reason. We came to life. This project pulled many of us out of the abyss.”

Alive founder Olena Sokalska said more than 250 women have taken part in her program so far, with a waiting list of around 3,000 people.

The paintings often depict scenes that remind women of time they spent with loved ones or their dreams, Olina said. Olina added that some people painted themselves or their husbands.

“They often drew angels, and their family members or children were depicted as angels,” she said. “These paintings mark the end of their lives and the beginning of new ones.”

In addition to bereavement, the dangers and insecurities of war also affect millions of Ukrainians.

Ukrainian psychotherapist Anna Stativka explains that when war starts, people lose security and stability – basic human needs.

“When those two basic resources suddenly disappear, it creates a lot of stress.”

As the war continues, the condition may also become chronic, with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, apathy, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and memory difficulties.

“You can’t stay in this state of high alert for too long,” Ms Stativka said, adding that it had an impact on people’s physical and mental health.

“This is what prevails in Ukrainian society,” she said.

Research and statistics show that the proportion of Ukrainians suffering from mental health problems is huge and growing.

According to the Ministry of Health of UkraineThe number of patients complaining of mental health problems has doubled this year since 2023, and market research data shows that sales of antidepressant drugs have increased by almost 50% since 2021.

A study published in the medical journal lancet Shows that 54% of Ukrainians (including refugees) suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Severe anxiety was prevalent in 21%, and high stress was prevalent in 18%.

another study Surveys conducted in 2023 showed that 27% of Ukrainians felt depressed or very sad, up from 20% in 2021, the year before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that a majority of Ukraine’s population may be experiencing suffering from the war.

“There can be different symptoms. Some people feel sad, some feel anxious, some have trouble sleeping, some feel tired. Some become angrier. Some develop unexplained somatic syndromes,” the WHO representative said. Whether it’s pain or not feeling good.

However, Habicht said Ukraine has made great strides in responding to the severe crisis and eliminating the Soviet-era stigma associated with mental health.

He said mental health was a priority during the first months of the war. “Ukraine is starting to talk about mental health and I think it’s a unique phenomenon that we don’t see in a lot of places,” Mr Habicht said.

Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska has launched a campaign called the “Mental Health Campaign”. Are you OK? And she also held The Third First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit Focus on mental health in times of war. The event is co-hosted by BBC, author and mental health campaigner Stephen Fry.

Interview with BBC Radio UkraineMr Fry described Ukraine’s mental health challenges as an “urgent crisis” but said he was also impressed by the country’s efforts to tackle the issue.

“For me, it’s very unusual to talk about this issue in Ukraine,” Mr. Fry said. “This is certainly Ukraine’s advantage. The day the Russians start talking about the mental health of their soldiers and the crisis among them will be the day it escapes the totalitarian horrors it seems to be trapped in for a moment.”

Psychotherapist Anna Stativka said that one of the ways Ukrainian society copes with the trauma of war is through solidarity.

People generally have become more willing to help each other and are more polite, even in public spaces, she said. “People are talking to their neighbors more. A lot of people are volunteering, donating, helping each other. It’s a very stabilizing factor. We’re seeing more trust with each other, more empathy, ” she said.

Maria Ivaschenko now raises four children alone. But she smiled again, though sometimes she cried. His message to those struggling with the loss of a loved one: “Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Get out of your bubble. Don’t be alone.”

“The most important thing is not to give up and not think that you are alone in this world or that no one cares. Oh yes, they do,” she said.

“Our husbands go to war not so that we can sit around and cry, but so that we can keep going and keep living.”

The effects of this war will be felt for generations to come, but Ukrainians are now struggling to cope with the trauma.