A 5-day study visit of Ukrainian mental health workers and experts to Italy, organized by WHO and its Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health at Giuliano Isontina University Health Authority (ASU GI) in Trieste, aimed to help develop mental health services in the war-torn country.
During the visit to the north-eastern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the Ukrainian participants learned about a network of community-based mental health services in Trieste within the health system and beyond. There, mental health services are integrated into general health care, community mental health centres, multidisciplinary health teams, non-health settings and key social services.
“WHO supports the efforts of the Government of Ukraine in developing a mental health system that addresses acute needs created by the war and that is more resilient during recovery and reconstruction,” explains Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.
In Trieste’s neighbouring city of Udine, participants familiarized themselves with an age-friendly environment that sets out to support healthy ageing, mental health promotion and prevention of mental health issues among older adults.
Exchanges with service users and providers increased understanding of how Italian mental health services foster a sense of engagement, recovery, joint decision-making and connectedness within the community, all while promoting a safe, inclusive environment and combating the stigma and discrimination that are often linked to mental health issues.
“Seeing and exchanging experiences with other countries is a valuable approach to inform and facilitate the development of the mental health model and incorporate successes and lessons learned,” Dr Habicht adds.
His views are echoed by Ms Oksana Zbitnieva, Head of the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. “While building a network of mental health services in Ukraine, we strive to learn the most successful practices of other countries and contextualize those, combining them with the extensive experience of Ukrainian professionals and service users.”
She emphasizes, “To respond to the challenges posed by the war we need to be creative and move fast, as people should not wait for good-quality care but receive it now.”
The results of the visit will inform the continuing conceptualization and development of a rights-based and person-centred mental health system and services in Ukraine.
WHO will continue to support efforts to address the needs of war-affected populations by strengthening mental health services during the emergency response and recovery period, and by working towards a system where needs are met comprehensively where people live as an integrated part of general health services.
About the study visit
The study visit took place in December 2023 within the framework of the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition, a flagship of WHO/Europe, and the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program initiated by Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska. The Ukrainian delegation was headed by the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, with participation of the oblast military administrations and the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine.
This is the second study visit to Trieste in 2023. The first, in October, brought representatives of central Asian countries.