How Ukraine’s First Lady Is Transforming the Approach to Mental Health

May is traditionally recognized worldwide as Mental Health Awareness Month. Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, has made this issue one of the cornerstones of her work, advancing systemic solutions both inside the country and abroad. What initiatives are already helping Ukrainians cope with anxiety, loss, and stress?

For Ukrainians, mental health is not just a relevant topic — it’s a matter of survival. The full-scale war has added new trauma to already existing challenges, leaving millions grappling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic stress. Mental health is one of the key factors without which a fulfilling and happy life is impossible. For instance, in the 2025 World Happiness Report, Ukraine ranked only 111th out of 143 countries.

In response to these challenges, Ukraine is developing new approaches to mental health: educational programs, networks of support centers, and fresh initiatives and projects are emerging across the country. One of the key driving forces behind this shift has been First Lady Olena Zelenska, who has launched a range of programs and projects to build a culture of psychological support at all levels of society — including the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme “How Are You?”, and the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform “Mental Health: Fragility and Resilience of the Future” (2023).

Zelenska’s systemic initiatives are shaping a new culture of care for mental health in Ukraine. These are not just isolated projects, but part of a comprehensive approach that combines public awareness campaigns, educational programs, and broad international cooperation.

Building a Mental Health System in Ukraine: National Program and International Organizations

To help Ukrainians overcome war-related stress, recover from traumatic experiences, and prevent the development of mental health disorders, First Lady Olena Zelenska launched the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme in 2022. The programme is developed and coordinated by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in collaboration with national and international experts, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO supports Olena Zelenska’s initiatives by providing technical assistance, developing training programs for healthcare workers, and creating standards for primary healthcare in the field of mental health.

One of the key components of cooperation with WHO is the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), which trains primary care physicians — family doctors, pediatricians, and general practitioners — in basic methods of diagnosing and treating mental disorders. This helps reduce the burden on specialized professionals and improves access to care at local hospitals and clinics. Since 2022, WHO has actively supported the scaling of this programme in Ukraine, which has already shown positive results: in 2024, about 175,000 Ukrainians sought help from primary care doctors for mental health issues, accounting for more than a third of all consultations in this area.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been a key partner in this effort, organizing strategic sessions for the programme that bring together mental health specialists, experts, government representatives, local authorities, international and civil society organizations, and businesses. UNICEF also helps develop training materials for teachers and psychologists, offering effective methods for working with children who have experienced the traumas of war. Another important aspect of cooperation is providing training for social workers and healthcare professionals to ensure proper support for children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

UNICEF also plays a crucial role in supporting Ukrainian children affected by the war, having provided psychological and social assistance to children and caregivers since February 24, 2022. In addition, thousands of people have received financial assistance through UNICEF’s initiatives.

The communication campaign “How are you?” has become a guide for Ukrainians on the path to mental health care. On the programme’s website, anyone can find practical self-help tools, recommendations for verified specialists, and a list of services to contact for help. The programme is constantly updated with new materials and is developed in cooperation with experts and international partners. Its main goal is to give every Ukrainian the sense that help is available and to make caring for mental health as natural as caring for physical health.

United for Mental Health: How Ukraine’s First Lady Collaborates with International Partners

One of the key platforms for Ukraine’s cooperation with international partners in the field of mental health has been the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform, which raised the issue of mental health to a global level.

In 2023, the summit was held under the theme “Mental Health: Fragility and Resilience of the Future,” bringing together first ladies and gentlemen from 29 countries. Participants not only publicly endorsed the importance of this issue but also helped establish a network of medical partnerships between Ukrainian clinics and healthcare institutions abroad. As a result, at least 25 partnership agreements were signed with clinics in the United Kingdom, the United States, Lithuania, Germany, Poland, and other countries.

In addition, first ladies from around the world have actively participated in public awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of mental health. For example, the spouses of leaders from Latvia, Iceland, Spain, Montenegro, and several other nations recorded video messages and issued joint statements in support of Ukrainians, emphasizing the need for access to psychological assistance.

All of these efforts are helping Ukraine not only cope with the immediate consequences of war but also lay the groundwork for long-term change in the mental health sector—drawing on the best international practices and standards.

Thanks to the initiatives being implemented in Ukraine, mental health care is gradually shifting from a purely personal matter to a vital social value. Educational programs, public awareness campaigns, international clinic partnerships, and training for healthcare providers are helping to build a new culture of mental health care, making it an integral part of everyday life for Ukrainians.

More and more people in Ukraine are finding the courage to speak openly about their psychological struggles, as a systematic approach helps to reduce stigma around mental health and spreads the message of self-care. For the first time in Ukraine’s history, mental health has emerged as a national priority—bringing the country closer to global standards of human well-being.

Anastasiia Stepanenko, grant writer, project manager, cultural critic, expert at the United Ukraine Think Tank