First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the third Mental Health Forum, “Supporting Those Who Support Everyone: Capacity and Well-Being of Mental Health Workers,” held as part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?” initiated by the President’s wife.
Forum participants included representatives of central executive authorities, regional military administrations, local communities, international and non-governmental organizations, companies from the Business Without Barriers community, higher education institutions, experts and scholars, mental health service providers, regional coordinators of “How Are You?”, and community consultants.
“For the first time in our country, mental health support stands alongside responses to other urgent challenges of the war. For the first time, the service is brought so close to everyone: in the office of a family doctor trained by the WHO, in hundreds of mental health and resilience centers, in veteran spaces, and in cultural and artistic institutions. Today, we saw from the numbers that their presence has grown even further across all regions,” Olena Zelenska noted.
In 23 regions of Ukraine, over 13,000 providers offer mental health and psychosocial support services across various sectors: healthcare, social protection, education, veteran policy, culture and the arts, and sports. The full range of service providers within the “How Are You?” network was showcased at the forum in an exhibition format, where various institutions and organizations presented their work and shared experiences.
A special “How Are You?” research indicated that awareness of mental health services at the community level has increased 2.5 times compared to 2023. The willingness to seek support rose from 23% to 46%, while satisfaction with services increased from 61% to 74%.
The forum also featured the presentation of a survey conducted among over 850 employers by “How Are You?” and the State Labor Service of Ukraine. It revealed that for 85% of respondents, mental health is a priority. Limited budgets were identified as the number one barrier by roughly 40% of those surveyed, alongside other challenges such as lack of employee motivation, uncertainty on how to start, and fear of doing something wrong.
Panel discussions took place as well, including on intersectoral cooperation within “How Are You?”. Companies from the Business Without Barriers community presented their projects supporting mental health at the workplace and discussed the challenges businesses are trying to solve.
A special event, “The Power of Gratitude,” held on the second day of the forum, brought together service providers from public and non-governmental sectors in a marketplace format, as well as businesses and universities.
Additionally, a photo exhibition titled “Touches of Support” was presented, featuring personal images of support shared by Ukrainians from across the country.
“These are very personal stories of quiet joy, gratitude, and hope. I thank everyone who shared them with us all. For it is witnessing them that truly warms the heart. The images show moments of rescue, birth, long-awaited reunions, and simply being together – parents with children, grandparents with grandchildren. And in these photos, you can also see yourselves or your colleagues at work, at that same crucial moment of helping others,” the First Lady concluded.
The third Mental Health Forum was organized by the Coordination Centre for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the World Health Organization, as part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?”.