Civilians fleeing the conflict in Ukraine They should have immediate access to mental health support when they arrive in the UK, the experts said, adding that there is an urgent need for more investment in such services.
Jonathan Bisson, professor of psychiatry at Cardiff University and director of Traumatic Stress Waleshe said that many people who remained in Ukraine would experience uncertainty, anxiety and fear and that some would likely develop mental health problems.
“Depending on where you are in Ukraine, right now you may be experiencing absolutely catastrophic, direct, traumatic events: loss of homes, no electricity, no water, deaths of people around you, injuries,” he said. . “And if that’s not happening to you, your city or where you live right now, then clearly there must be a huge fear of that happening in the near future.”
While Bisson emphasized that those feelings were normal and shouldn’t be pathologized, he said some people are likely to develop mental health issues. An important approach to reducing this risk, she added, was to ensure that people felt supported during the crisis.
But Bisson said short-, medium- and long-term mental health services were also crucial for those who had fled Ukraine, noting that many refugees would need immediate emotional support once they arrived in countries like the UK.
“Any response from the beginning needs to be trauma-informed,” he said. But Bisson said that, in the first instance, that meant ensuring that people fleeing the conflict had security and stability. “Establishing people in communities, getting community support, establishing good social networks for people and with people are absolutely critical to people’s long-term prospects in terms of their mental health and well-being,” he said. he.
Bisson said therapy for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder was generally best offered once people were settled and stable, meaning it may be needed months or years after arrival.
Dr. Noreen Tehrani, a Chartered Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a member of its crisis, disaster and trauma section, also stressed the importance of ensuring refugees feel safe, adding that placing them in families, rather than camps of refugees, hopefully it would make this easier. easier.
But Tehrani expressed concern about the lack of specialist support. “There is concern that many well-intentioned but untrained counselors and other kind people want to help, but for highly traumatized refugees it is possible to do more harm when you don’t understand exactly what is needed. ”, She said, adding that it was also necessary to safeguard and raise awareness of the risks for women and children.
Tehrani said it would also be helpful if information was provided to services including schools, GPs, youth organizations and people offering homes to refugees so they would know what to expect.
Kama Petruczenko, policy and research officer at the Refugee Council, also pointed to the need for support for both refugees and those who want to help them. “There is an urgent need for more investment in mental health support for refugees,” she said. “Two-thirds of people seeking asylum experience severe mental distress and are five times more likely to have mental health needs than the UK population.”
She added: “Extremely traumatized women and children arriving from Ukraine will need significant professional support to come to terms with all that they have endured. The government must ensure that sponsors can access the right levels of support and training to meet the complex needs of Ukrainian families who have lost so much.”
Petruczenko said it was very important that immediate help and also long-term support were available.
“The government says that additional resources will be made available, but it is important that these funds are at the right level to meet the needs as soon as people start arriving,” he said.
Dr Adrian James, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, also called for action. “It is absolutely critical that we help refugees recover from the trauma they have experienced, and identify those who need additional specialist mental health support. The government must also urgently focus on improving conditions for refugees, including increasing access to mental health support.”
A government spokesman said: “Ukrainians fleeing their home country will be guaranteed free access to NHS healthcare, including mental health care services and registration with a GP.
“Arrivals will be flagged to services, including 24/7 mental health helplines available in each area, and information about accessing NHS services, including talk therapies.”
