Psychological support during war
The war in Ukraine is a shock to the world. Many people feel scared, sad or powerless. Mental health professionals are aware of the impact that war can have on people’s mental well-being. Many of them therefore experience the desire to contribute to the psychosocial care of those affected. It is important to pay attention to the needs of those affected by war. The pyramid below shows what war victims need.
Self-help tools
- Telegram bot
Evidence based and psychological first aid based instructions in this chat bot were designed by department of medical psychology, psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy, Bogomolets National Medical Univirsity (Kyiv, Ukraine) under scientific guidance of experts from ECNP Traumatic Stress Network, Vrje University Amsterdam and Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
- Education self-help movie for Syrian refugees in 2015 (Ukrainian subtitles)
Education movie for Syrian refugees in 2015 and a Ukrainian colleague from Max Plank Institute provided the subtitles. The videos provide information about mental health symptoms and self help for people after forced displacement.
- Refugee Trauma Help (English)
On this page you will find information about what trauma actually means, about its causes, which symptoms may show up and about what one can do to cope with it. - Trauma tips for hosts of Ukrainian refugees
Talk to a specialist
- Free help:
Maps of psychiatric services in Ukraine
National Psychological association, Ukraine
Psychological help available in many languages
Medical and psychological support (Ukrainian)
30 min mental support sessions (English)
30 min support sessions (Russian)
Psychological Counseling for Children (Ukrainian and Russian)
- Not free of charge:
- Hotlines:
Information for Healthcare workers and volunteers
- Benefietwebinar (NL): Eerste psychologische hulp aan oorlogsgetroffenen
In dit webinar worden adviezen gegeven en richtlijnen gedeeld over effectieve eerste (psychologische) hulp aan mensen in of gevlucht uit een oorlogssituatie. De sprekers waren prof. Dr. Marit Sijbrandij, expert op het gebied van onderzoek en richtlijnen over het wereldwijd opschalen van psychologische hulp in acute situaties, en Drs. Sjef Berendsen, Klinisch psycholoog en psychotraumatherapeut met jarenlange ervaring in de acute hulpverlening bij oorlog en rampen.
Klik hier voor het terugkijken van het webinar (beschikbaar tot 30 april).
Klik hier voor de presentatie van Iryna Frankova
Klik hier voor de presentatie van Marit Sijbrandij
Klik hier voor de presentatie van Sjef Berendsen
- Gratis online cursus over steun aan vluchtelingenkinderen (NL)
Een online cursus voor leerkrachten en docenten in het primair en voortgezet onderwijs die vluchtelingenkinderen in de klas krijgen.
- Webinar (ENG and UKR) about Trauma informed care for pregnant woman and young children in times of stressful situations
- Webinar: War in Ukraine (ENG)- ISTSS
This webinar recording highlights opportunities and challenges for traumatic stress professionals assisting those affected by the war in Ukraine. Dr. Frankova discusses current needs of forcibly displaced people and digital interventions developed for people under stress. Next, Dr. Sijbrandij focuses on scalable psychological strategies to prevent or address common mental health problems of people affected by the war in Ukraine. Finally, Dr. Ventevogel presents an overview of how mental health and psychosocial support is integrated in the humanitarian response for Ukrainian refugees. - Webinar: Psychological First Aid- International Society of Schema Therapy
- Webinar: Opportunities and Challenges for the Traumatic Stress Community to Assist Those Affected by the War in Ukraine – ISTSS
- What is needed first? A guide for everyone who wants to help in the immediate aftermath of extremely stressful events.
This guide covers psychological first aid which involves humane, supportive and practical help to fellow human beings suffering serious crisis events. It is written for people in a position to help others who have experienced an extremely distressing event. It gives a framework for supporting people in ways that respect their dignity, culture and abilities in the immediate aftermath of extremely stressful events.
- Self Help Plus (ENG, UKR and more) – WHO
This manual is a stress management guide for coping with adversity. This illustrated guide supports implementation of WHO’s recommendation for stress management. There are many causes of stress, including personal difficulties (e.g. conflict with loved ones, being alone, lack of income, worries about the future), problems at work (e.g. conflict with colleagues, an extremely demanding or insecure job) or major threats in your community (e.g. violence, disease, lack of economic opportunity). This guide is for anyone who experiences stress, ranging from parents and other carers to health professionals working in dangerous situations. It is for both people who flee war, losing all they have, and well protected people living in communities at peace.
- Manual of Problem Management Plus (ENG, UKR and more) – WHO
This manual describes a scalable psychological intervention called Problem Management Plus (PM+) for adults impaired by distress in communities who are exposed to adversity. Aspects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) have been changed to make them feasible in communities that do not have many specialists. To ensure maximum use, the intervention is developed in such a way that it can help people with depression, anxiety and stress, whether or not exposure to adversity has caused these problems. It can be applied to improve aspects of mental health and psychosocial well-being no matter how severe people’s problems are - Organisaties en online bronnen voor hulp aan vluchtelingenkinderen in Nederland (NL)- NJI
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support- Resources in the Ukrainian Language – IASC
- Guideline: Mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings
- Mental Health Assessment – Resources for clinicians and researchers. Ukrainian and Russian translations of measures of depression, anxiety, somatic problems, trauma exposure, PTSD and CPTSD, and functional impairment.
- Information to guide individual health assessment of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine – Considerations for healthcare workers
- Ukrainian web app version of the Global Psychotrauma Screen
A short instrument screening for resilience and a wide range of mental health problems after stressful or traumatic events. - Contactpunt Oekraïne- ARQ IVP (NL)
Available on working days between 9.00 en 17.00 on 088 – 3305500.