Stress, lack of sleep, painful memories, relocation, loss of and separation from loved ones, and crises caused by the war all affect mental health. Internally displaced persons often go through all of this. Delaying qualified help worsens mental well-being and directly affects health.
Internally displaced persons can receive mental health care free of charge. It is covered by the Program of Medical Guarantees.
Who can you turn to about your mental health?
For mental health concerns, you can first contact the doctor with whom you have signed a declaration with a family doctor: your family doctor, general practitioner or, for a child, a pediatrician. Today, almost 12,000 primary care doctors have been trained under the WHO mhGAP program and provide basic mental health care. These doctors work at facilities that have a contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU) for the package “Support and treatment of adults and children with mental disorders at the primary level of care”.
So you should see a doctor if you have symptoms such as:
- feeling anxious, nervous or tense;
- mood swings, from apathy to agitation;
- memory problems;
- disturbed sleep or eating behavior;
- constant irritability, annoyance and anger;
- panic attacks, intrusive thoughts;
- acute stress reaction;
- inability to concentrate;
- auditory or visual hallucinations;
- and others that reduce quality of life.
Describe your condition to the doctor. With the patient's consent, the doctor will screen for mental and behavioral disorders and, if necessary, help with uncomplicated symptoms. Or, if needed, the doctor will refer you to a specialist — a psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
Patients can also see a psychiatrist without a referral.
What help can a family doctor provide?
Based on the screening results, the family doctor may prescribe tests and treatment, which will include:
- referral for laboratory and instrumental tests to diagnose or rule out mental or neurological disorders related to physical health;
- referral to a psychiatrist for assessment, diagnosis and treatment recommendations (with the patient's consent);
- psychological first aid — not only for the patient, but also for family members who care for them;
- psychosocial interventions (psychoeducation, work with psychosocial stressors, support for taking part in everyday activities, etc.), as well as pharmacological and behavioral interventions.
- drawing up a management and treatment plan for a patient with newly identified or previously diagnosed disorders within the family doctor's competence;
- monitoring treatment and checking that the follow-up and treatment plan is being followed;
- providing ongoing support for patients with mental or neurological disorders;
- if the patient's condition does not improve — referral to a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, psychophysiologist, addiction specialist or neurologist (depending on the diagnosis and the patient's condition), coordination with these doctors, etc.
How can you find a healthcare facility that provides mental health care?
- call the NHSU contact center at 16-77. Choose to be connected to an operator and ask where the nearest facilities with mental health specialists are. Write down the contacts and phone numbers the operator gives you;
- or find NHSU-contracted facilities yourself using the online map on the dashboard “Healthcare providers in the area of ‘Psychological and psychiatric care’”, which brings together all providers in this area. In the filter panel on the left, select the region, locality and level of care (primary, outpatient or inpatient), then select the doctor's specialty. The map will then show facilities, with phone numbers and addresses, that match your filters. You can go to the dashboard via this link: https://cutt.ly/qevuu6VQ.
The Program of Medical Guarantees gives all Ukrainians the same free list of medical services and equal access to them, regardless of internally displaced person status. Learn more about the free medical services available under the Program of Medical Guarantees in the e-guide “Patient's Guide to the Program of Medical Guarantees 2024”. You can download the guide via this link.