Kyiv, Ukraine, October 28, 2024 — dir=”ltr”>The latest data collected by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) reveals the devastating impact of Russia’s large-scale invasion on the mental health of healthcare workers in Ukraine.

• One in five healthcare professionals surveyed experience the negative effects of long-term combat-related stress, including anxiety, uncertainty, and decreased life satisfaction and self-worth.
• Thirty percent of survey respondents rarely manage difficult emotions in a healthy way without harming themselves or others.
• More than forty percent of young nurses do not have effective strategies for coping with stress.
• Forty-six percent of respondents are not optimistic about the future; Sixty-five percent of young medical doctors do not believe in what tomorrow will bring.

Almost a thousand days after all-out war in Ukraine, medical workers have gone far beyond their usual duties. They have undertaken emergencies, sexual care, reproductive care and mental health support to ensure that people affected by conflict receive much-needed care, especially in areas most severely affected by conflict. The war, marked by increased stress, long working hours and a lack of basic supplies, combined with impossible decisions about whose life to save, has placed a significant mental strain on Ukrainian medical personnel.

IRC’s Ukraine Health Coordinator Dr. Marko Isajlovic said:

“The IRC’s latest findings highlight an often overlooked issue: the enormous mental health impact of war on healthcare workers and the invisible cost of saving lives in times of war.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and the simultaneous impact of war have intensified the mental health crisis among both the general population and the healthcare workforce. Among tens of million Ukrainians suffering from war-induced mental health disorders, medical personnel are facing post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and other mental health problems as they try to meet increasing demands.

“Fifty per cent of young medical doctors we surveyed felt their hospital did not provide adequate support to help them cope with emergency work or address mental health issues. More than forty per cent felt they were unable to effectively support their team in stressful situations.

Against this background, Ukraine’s mental health system still remains constrained by limited funding, workforce shortages, and persistent stigma. “Our data shows how important it is to continue championing the duty of care of healthcare professionals, enabling mental health support and destigmatizing this support for those who tirelessly dedicate their lives to serving others.”

You can access the full report here.

Notes to editors:

• According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, since the Russian occupation began in February 2022, more than 100 healthcare workers have been killed, 1,877 healthcare facilities and 876 pharmacies have been destroyed or damaged, and 20% of the country’s ambulances have been damaged. .
• The IRC’s well-being survey data among healthcare workers was collected for one month, from 13 May to 14 June 2024, in the ten most conflict-affected regions of Ukraine. A total of 1,552 people (82%) participated in the survey. The largest number of participants came from Kharkiv (44%), followed by Kherson (10.7%), Sumy (9.8%) and Mykolaiv (9.2%). Participants represented 72 different healthcare facilities; the highest number was in Lviv (12), followed by Kharkiv and Kiev (both 11).