More than 300,000 Ukrainians have turned to family doctors for mental health assistance. This was stated by the Minister of Health of Ukraine, Viktor Lyashko, on the telethon, writes UNN.
Details
Lyashko noted this while answering a question about how often Ukrainians currently seek help from their family doctor for mental health.
It grows from year to year. And by the beginning of 2025, more than 300,000 Ukrainians used this service in a year
Supplement
From January 1, 2025, all primary care medical facilities contracted by the National Health Service of Ukraine to provide primary medical care provide free mental health services in Ukraine. In particular, for this, all family doctors, therapists, pediatricians and nurses/brothers must have certificates of completion of training under the WHO mhGAP program, which provides basic knowledge of the management of mental disorders.
mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Action Programme) is a global flagship WHO program aimed at increasing access to mental health services by involving non-specialized mental health personnel (e.g., family doctors) in providing assistance to people with mental disorders. The mhGAP guidelines and its version for emergency humanitarian settings offer healthcare professionals who are not mental health specialists assessment and management protocols for common mental disorders such as depression, acute stress reaction, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal behavior, substance use disorders and other mental, neurological and substance use disorders.
Let us remind you
Earlier, it was reported that from 2025, mental health support services will become available to all citizens in Ukraine on the basis of primary health care (PHC). In particular, it was envisaged that all family doctors and medical staff should have WHO mhGAP certificates.