Olga Berg discusses mental health in Ukraine
Olga Berg, Executive Director at UMC, spoke with a panel presentation between Re:solve Global Health and Northwell Health to discuss the urgent mental health needs in Ukraine. Here is a snippet from the discussion, and the full article is available below:
‘Olga Berg, executive director of Ukraine Medical Consortium, has been working on support in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, coordinating training for doctors, in-kind donations distribution, equipment procurement, and partner collaboration. The organisation serves as a liaison between those contributing to Ukranian relief right now—international NGOs, volunteers, hospitals in Ukraine, and foreign governments.
These include training mobile volunteers on the ground in Trauma Risk Incident Protocol (TRIM) in collaboration with King’s College London Centre for Military Health Research, and using messaging app Telegram to share interactive training in tactical medicine, mental health, and other crucial resources.
She says there are “no perfect solutions” for addressing mental health in the middle of war. “Every culture has their way of healing,” Berg says, and, as a result, when coordinating mental health support during a crisis, cultural competency has to be prioritised.
International war efforts have a long, chequered history in which foreign governments and NGOs swoop into a country, lacking the cultural awareness needed to answer the specific needs of the communities they are pledging to help. One culture’s approach to mental health might not make sense to another.
When communities are under attack, the negative effects of NCDs like mental health issues can coalesce for those on the ground to an intimidating, nearly unmanageable degree. Berg says volunteers in Ukraine—and the people they are helping—are facing incredibly high levels of persistent trauma. They need support in real time as there's no luxury of meetings or scheduled consultations. These are problems that need immediate action.
For those looking to address mental health during an international crisis, Berg says it’s crucial to understand the culture-specific needs of the people affected—in this case, the people of Ukraine.
“When we do training—currently we provide ultrasound, tactical medicine, and mental health—we always look for capable local experts with a good reputation who need support. Frequently, they have already established practices that have proven effective in their environment. We try to integrate with existing formats and provide additional tools,” she says.
“For example, some of the local groups supporting military and mental health goals… stay with the troops, cook and sing together, to create rapport and create an open environment for conversations with soldiers. Now they will be also bringing TRIM protocol training for officers as a part of the ongoing programme.
"It is about supporting the local systems that already exist and doing the best job we can.”’
The full article can be found here.