Episode Six: Mental Health Under Attack

Written By Sabrina Furminger

CONTENT WARNING: This episode deals with mental health and mental illness. For mental health resources, visit the episode footnotes below. Please, take care. 

Ukrainians are fighting more than just the invaders from Moscovia. We’re also in the midst of a mental health crisis, and the casualties are mounting. Studies found that up to 60% of internally displaced individuals and more than 40% of Ukrainian refugees meet the criteria for post traumatic stress disorder. Ukraine's Ministry of Health is already predicting that some 15 million require psychological support, and around 3 to 4 million people need medication to manage mental health problems resulting from the war.

But just because people require help doesn’t mean they’ll reach for it. Stigma remains a massive barrier to treatment, and this stigma is costing us lives. A study published earlier this year by the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that suicidal ideation in Ukraine is on the rise. The human suffering associated with that statistic is heart-wrenching. In this important episode, our host Sabrina speaks with Nataliya Chorna, a compassionate registered clinical counsellor, psychotherapist, and neurofeedback practitioner. Nataliya discusses the impact that russia’s cruel war is having on Ukrainian mental health, and how we can support each other during this devastating time in our history.

Sabrina Furminger
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Episode Five: Am I Ukrainian?