One year after Russia’s attack on Ukraine:
How can we as an international professional psychotrauma community assist
our Ukrainian colleagues
Jana Javakhishvili, Global Collaboration on Traumatic StressFebruary 24th, 2023

February 24th marked one year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine; one year ofindiscriminate bombings and shelling, deaths of thousands of civilians, forced migration ofmillions, harrowing realities emerging from regions liberated from Russian occupation – mass
graves, torture, rape, and other crimes against humanity.
“Ukraina Peremozhe” (“Ukraine will win”) is a motto, a mantra, a prayer shared and recited bymillions of Ukrainians, and we see the truth behind this slogan. Unprecedented resilience,
fortitude and unity of Ukrainian people has shown the world that people of Ukraine will notsurrender. They fight for freedom and democracy and they do this with dignity and meaning.
As an international professional psychotrauma community, we are especially proud of our
Ukrainian colleagues, who, from the very beginning of the full-scale war, are showing atremendous ability of coping and resilience.
Many of our colleagues are acting as first responders in the field of mental health andpsychosocial aid, providing critical resources to their fellow citizens and helping them tosurvive. Some left their therapeutic practices and went to the frontlines to defend their
homeland. Some enlisted in the armed forces to provide mental health support to the deployedsoldiers. Many, in collaboration with colleagues from different countries, are initiating andparticipating in various capacity building programs to be prepared to respond to thepopulation’s mental health needs after the war; many are looking ahead and considering not
only mental health care, but also mechanisms of international justice.
When the war ends, a lot of efforts will be invested to bring the country to the pre-disasterstatus. But we also know that there is a potential for breakthrough and achieving better thanthe pre-disaster condition. Providing necessary resources and support to promote such adevelopment should be the task of the international community.
How can we, as an international psychotrauma community, assist our Ukrainian colleagues inthis? It is important to continue supporting Ukrainian mental health professionals in enhancing
trauma care system. There is a solid knowledge and experience that has accumulated in ourfield that could be transferred. There should also be an awareness that we could learn fromour Ukrainian collegues as well. Therefore, it is important:-To be sensitive towards needs of the Ukrainian society as well as the needs of thevarious communities and target groups as IDPs, Refugees, children and young people,veterans, people with mental disorders, etc. The best evidence on mental health andpsychosocial support needs to be applied, adjusted and has to inform corresponding
policies and practices-

To take into consideration not only needs but also resources of the targetedcommunities, families and individuals, while planning and implementing interventions.
As we usually state: resilience, self- and community-efficacy should be emphasized-

To be sensitive towards the local culture and take into consideration specific factors that
influence symptoms presentations, relevance and applicability of particularinterventions-

Be aware that an important experience of provision of mental health and psychosocial
support to the people in need amid ongoing war (since 2014 and especially during thelast year) is being accumulated nowadays in Ukraine, and this unique experience needs
attention and conceptualization – to gather new evidences of good practices and learn
from experiences, to have a „2-way street,“ where international and local best
evidences meet and enrich each other-Studies should be planned and implemented (and corresponding local research capacity
enhance) to assess the changing needs of different groups, to inform psychosocial
support and mental health care policies. Effectiveness of the interventions should bemeasured, and research and clinical practice should be bridged to assure properly
tailored care-

To consider development of trauma-informed and trauma-focused care within thelarger context of mental health responses and support the ongoing mental healthreform in the country – via gradual deconstruction of large psychiatric institutions anddeveloping community-based services, fostering multidisciplinary approach, introducing
transdiagnostic methods-

To foster intersectoral collaboration considering human rights and justice dimension as
there is no mental health without justice.