Statistics show that over 21,000 Ukrainians who managed to reach the Netherlands are affected by mental health problems. As for the Dutch population as a whole, according to GGZonline.nu, around two million people are suffering from a mental disorder. The 100,000 of them who are wait-listed for treatment may have to wait up to 12 months. For Ukrainians, there are further constraints. A major one is the language barrier. Since the majority of the refugees speak only Ukrainian or Russian, they are at risk of never receiving the help they need. In such cases their condition is likely to deteriorate, making it impossible for them to integrate in Dutch society and opening the way to becoming suicidal. Another limitation is the lack of professionals able to provide mental healthcare to people from war zones.
The current project aims to help Ukrainian refugees cope with the challenges facing them, such as emotional suffering, stress and trauma. If our counsellors identify more severe conditions, clients will be referred to specialized Dutch healthcare for emergency treatment.