On World Mental Health Day, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with students of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv studying psychology and social work.
“Bringing mental health support as close to people as possible, in their native cities and villages, making it accessible, friendly, and free, is the goal of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?”. Taras Shevchenko National University is one of the higher education institutions actively collaborating with the program in this very area – training the specialists our country so urgently needs,” the First Lady noted.
Last academic year, the National University of Kyiv graduated 218 bachelors and 165 masters in psychology and social work. Currently, nearly 2,000 students are enrolled in the Faculty of Psychology, and over 400 students study at the Department of Military Psychology and Pedagogy at the Military Institute.
The First Lady joined a special event for first-year students, Touches of Support: An Empathy Workshop, which will now become a mandatory part of the adaptation period for all new students at the University. On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, such workshops were held in all universities participating in the “How Are You?” community – a total of 30 higher education institutions across 20 regions of Ukraine.
Olena Zelenska also met with graduates of the first wave of the Peer-to-Peer program, a specialized initiative for veterans aimed at preparing professionals who will, in the future, support other veterans and servicemembers.
“I hope the peer-to-peer approach will earn its rightful place in the official profession registry. This is important so that, for example, resilience centers and rehabilitation centers can officially employ such specialists,” the President’s wife emphasized.
Additionally, the First Lady visited the Touches of Support exhibition, held as part of the day of collective action. Today, the “How Are You?” communications campaign highlights the power of warm, caring actions and invites Ukrainians to share photos and stories of supportive touches. With the support of regional “How Are You?” coordinators, collective action days also took place in other Ukrainian towns and communities, engaging tens of thousands of Ukrainians.
The initiative has also been supported by companies within the Business Without Barriers community. They shared stories about their employees, clients, and guests on social media. On this day, the “How Are You?” social media channels released a sticker pack created in collaboration with the National Antarctic Scientific Center, featuring Antarctica's animals, reminding everyone of the importance of mental health.