To restore Ukraine’s human capital, it is important to develop psychological support not only in the civilian medical sector, but also in military healthcare in parallel lines.
Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska stated this via Telegram, Ukrinform reports.
According to the president’s spouse, more than half of future veterans, 52.6%, consider psycho-emotional instability a highly likely challenge in peaceful life. This is seen from a survey conducted among military personnel for the sixth time by the Ukrainian Veterans Fund at the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs.
“When asked who needs support and psychological assistance most of all, 62% of polled Ukrainians answered: former combatants and ex-POWs,” the First Lady noted, adding that this comes from a study run by the ForService research company on behalf of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?”.
“And this indicates a very high demand for psychological assistance. It is not only about overcoming PTSD and recovering from stress, but also about discovering resources to accept the situation, build up motivation to start a new life and achieve civilian well-being,” Zelenska emphasized.
According to the First Lady, earlier today, while visiting a military hospital in Kyiv alongside President Zelensky, as well as the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and First Deputy Minister of Defense, she spoke on this topic with military psychologists who support those being treated here.
Zelenska noted that through the full-scale invasion, the civilian healthcare system has already gained extensive experience in dealing with mental health issues. To this end, the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program has been put in place, family doctors are being trained, resilience centers and mobile multidisciplinary psychiatric care teams have been set up, which will be part of mental health centers from 2025.
Positive changes have also beeb spotted in the military sector as “psychology” became a separate military specialty, combat stress control groups have been deployed, and psychological rehabilitation departments are being set up, she noted.
However, the government is yet to ensure that such support is comprehensive rather than ad hoc. This includes mental health assistance to both wounded servicemen, their families, caregivers, and medics who operate in stressful environment.
“It is important to simultaneously develop psychological support not only in the civilian medical sector, but also in the military field. This is a strategic task of the state, because this is about restoring human capital,” Zelenska emphasized.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his spouse Olena Zelenska met with wounded soldiers undergoing treatment.
