This World Mental Health Day, we are highlighting the importance of accessible mental health support for children, young people and families in Ukraine whose lives have been changed by war.
“Children in Ukraine need spaces where they can feel safe, be heard and look to the future with hope. Together with local partners, we work to make mental health support accessible to children and those who care for them. Our ambition is for this support to become part of everyday life in their communities,” says Yaroslava Mozghova, Head of Programmes for War Child in Ukraine
This ambition guides the Beyond Trauma consortium’s work across Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernivtsi and Khmelnytskyi regions. The consortium is led by War Child and includes AFEW Ukraine, the Ukrainian Step by Step Foundation, Médecins du Monde Greece and Médecins du Monde Netherlands. Together, we are integrating evidence-based approaches into healthcare facilities and the work of local organisations, while training professionals to support children and families.
One such approach is EASE, a group-based mental health and psychosocial support intervention for adolescents developed by the World Health Organization - with technical input from War Child. EASE helps young people who have been impacted by conflict to manage their emotions, develop healthy coping strategies, and build resilience.
A total of 262 adolescents have participated in EASE under the project so far. Assessments before and after participation showed that 80.5% of children surveyed experienced a reduction in emotional and behavioural difficulties.
