Countering Russia’s military aggression
On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine. Russian troops began bombing Ukrainian cities and villages, destroying schools, hospitals, and kindergartens. Russian soldiers occupied a number of territories, blocked the departure of civilians, and fired on the “green corridors” of evacuation and humanitarian supplies from Ukraine and its allies. The occupiers began killing civilians and looting. In 2022, in a European country, people buried their relatives in mass graves. Women gave birth under fire in basements, and the sick cannot get help. According to the United Nations, since the beginning of the war, Europe has received more than 6 million refugees from Ukraine (12.05.2022).
As psychologists, we have begun to constantly encounter shock reactions, acute stress, grief, adaptation problems among IDPs, depression, and other mental health problems. The number of cases of PTSD, suicides, and traumatic brain injuries has increased significantly. We believe that professional development is essential to reduce the number of cases of new mental disorders and problems in the future.
Solution
Since the first day of the war, we, Ukrainian psychologists, have been providing psychological support to our society. It was an online format organized by volunteers who are in relatively safe conditions and have enough emotional resources to work. However, we later realized that in order to help Ukrainians more effectively and counteract burnout, we needed to find funding for our initiative. Therefore, the NPA launched a fundraising campaign and started looking for centralized funding.
In June 2022, we launched the Psychological Support Hotline from the National Psychological Association, which was provided in the format of audio and video calls. The hotline was available at a single toll-free number 0-800-100-102 from 10:00 to 20:00. All calls to the line are free of charge.
In 2023, we introduced the possibility of a video consultation with a psychologist and an Internet connection. The line was staffed by specially trained professionals who were trained in crisis intervention, trauma-informed approach, and working with violence. Since May 2023, our team has been strengthened by psychiatrists who conduct online appointments.
Clients had the opportunity to participate in free psychological client groups online.
Thanks to our technical partners, help for Ukrainians abroad is now available via toll-free numbers in 21 European countries.
From 2022 to December 2024, we received many private contributions from psychologists and private individuals from around the world, and a number of international organizations became project partners, supporting the continuous operation of the line. We also signed an agreement for full funding for 2025, but due to the rapid and unpredictable closure of funding, the line was suspended in 2024.
Why is your support important?
The hotline is an initiative implemented by the National Psychological Association. We consider our project to be an urgent crisis assistance and effective prevention of future problems among Ukrainians.
We are actively working to find new sources of funding and all donations will be used to resume our work.
To make a personal donation, please click the button below and use your Mastercard or Visa card for any amount.
Also, if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us at office@npa-ua.org.
Thank you for your concern for the mental health of Ukrainians in these difficult times!