One of the key achievements of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?” is the growing number of Ukrainians who have changed their attitude toward mental health. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska spoke about this in the final episode of “In Simple Terms” podcast by The Village.
“At the start of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program in 2022, 46% of Ukrainians said they would never seek help from a psychologist. Today, that number has dropped to 22%. More and more people are allowing themselves to seek support for their mental well-being – they are overcoming long-standing bias and the stigma around caring for one’s mental health. People are beginning to understand that asking for help in time is just as responsible as seeing a doctor about any other issue,” said Olena Zelenska.
The First Lady also shared what helps her maintain her strength and inner resources, and spoke about her personal experience in caring for her mental health.
“In Simple Terms” podcast has been produced as part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?” over the past two years. The project was implemented in collaboration with the Coordination Center for Mental Health under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, with support from the WHO.
Hosts – journalist and writer Mark Livin and clinical psychologist Sofiya Terlez – recorded 52 episodes that reached 9 million Ukrainians.