Primary care doctors are providing mental health support for Ukrainians
More than 23,000 primary care doctors are providing mental health support for Ukrainians
11.05.2026
Article published on the moz.gov.ua website
More than 23,000 primary care doctors have been trained under the WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP), which provides basic knowledge on how to manage psychological disorders and enables physicians to offer mental health support to Ukrainians. Anyone can approach them for help and receive it free of charge as this service is part of the Medical Guarantees Programme funded by Ukraine’s National Health Service.
Contacting the local family doctor, GP or paediatrician is the first step towards getting help. The doctors don’t make psychiatric diagnoses but can carry out a clinical evaluation of a person’s condition, including their physical and mental state, provide basic mental health support, refer them for further tests and, if necessary, to relevant specialists, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist or neurologist.
In order to be able to offer such care to patients, all GPs, paediatricians and nursing staff working in primary care facilities contracted by Ukraine’s National Health Service must hold a certificate confirming that they have successfully completed the WHO mhGAP programme.
The course covers the impacts of mental disorders on health, the principles of effective communication with patients, together with the identification and management of common neuropsychiatric and behavioural issues covered under mhGAP protocols. It also addresses topics such as depression and stress-related illnesses, including PTSD. To date, more than 160,000 trainees have completed the first part of the programme’s online course, of whom 23,000 are primary care physicians, 77,000 mid-level medical workers, and more than 16,000 specialist medical care doctors.
Ukrainian healthcare professionals can also undertake second-level training in common mental health illnesses at primary care level using mhGAP guidelines. This enhances the knowledge of doctors and nurses in identifying and managing psychosis, dementia, the effect of traumatic brain injuries, substance misuse, suicidal behaviour, mental health issues affecting children and adolescents, as well as other concerns.
More than 100,000 healthcare workers have already finished the course and received their certificates. Of these, 19,000 are primary care doctors, as well as more than 52,000 mid-level medical workers and 8,000 specialist secondary care doctors.
In the first quarter of this year, more than 51,500 Ukrainians sought mental health support from their doctors, 9,000 of whom were children.
A communications campaign has been launched to mark Mental Health Awareness Month in Ukraine with the slogan “How are you?; Find Out, Take Care and Reach Out”. It is part of a national mental health programme “How are you?” – an initiative of the country’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, which is being implemented with expert help from the WHO.
