Ambassadors of the All-Ukrainian mental health program will help Ukrainians take care of themselves

Minister of Health Viktor Liashko and first lady Olena Zelenska met with ambassadors of the All-Ukrainian mental health program. The team of ambassadors of the All-Ukrainian mental health program initiated by the first lady includes well-known representatives of show business, entrepreneurs, and public opinion leaders. Their mission is to form a culture of caring for mental health in Ukrainian society, their own, and those who are close by.

“All over the world, more and more attention is being paid to mental health. The situation in Ukraine is special – for more than a year our country has been in a state of full-scale war. We predict that its consequences will be felt by about 15 million Ukrainians. However, it is important to understand that about 80% of mental health problems can be solved through self-expression, self-diagnosis, and self-help. This allows preventing the progression of diseases that are associated with mental health, as well as physical illnesses caused by changes in the mental state. Therefore, we are actively working to promote the formation of a culture of caring for mental health in our society, to show people tools that will help them take care of their inner state and the state of their loved ones, to be more attentive to each other,” Viktor Liashko said. 

That is why the role of ambassadors, who can become guides to the Program's ideas and, communicate with their audience, conduct educational activities, promote self-help skills and techniques in society, and motivate citizens to honestly answer the question “How are you?”, and if necessary, seek help, without putting it off until "after the victory", is extremely important.

“We need Ukrainians to know that pain is definitely not something to be ashamed of or hide. Being “not OK” is also normal. Talking about it, seeking help is not just right, but also responsible both for yourself and for those who are nearby,” Olena Zelenska said.

Thus, the ambassadors of the All-Ukrainian mental health program were:

• ​Mariia Yefrosinina - a TV presenter, actress, public figure, co-founder of the NGO “Masha Foundation” and many other charitable projects, and honorary ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund in Ukraine on gender equality and combating violence. She was awarded the Order of Merit (III degree).
• Monatik (Dmytro Monatyk) - Ukrainian singer, dancer, songwriter, sound producer, composer, honored artist of Ukraine.
• Wellboy (Anton Velboi) - Ukrainian singer, composer, and songwriter. He openly shares his experience in overcoming mental health problems with teenagers and young people. Anton's sincerity helped young people remove internal barriers.
• Oleksandra Matviichuk - a Ukrainian human rights activist, chairman of the NGO “Center for Civil Liberties”, winner of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, Vasyl Stus, and “Defender of Democracy” awards.
• Oleh Romanchuk - director of the Institute of Mental Health of the Ukrainian Catholic University, psychiatrist, psychotherapist. 
• Dasha Kvitkova - an influencer, an entrepreneur who founded a School of Online Professions.
• Serhii Kovalenko – CEO of Yasno. He broke down stereotypes about how businesses can communicate with people in crisis situations.
• Zoya Lytvyn - honored worker of education of Ukraine, Ukrainian public figure and entrepreneur, chairman of the public union “Osvitoria”, founder of the Novopecherska school and the Global Teacher Prize Ukraine for innovative teachers.
• Mark Livin - a Ukrainian writer and journalist. Deputy editor-in-chief of the Village Ukraine, co-host of the podcast “In Simple Words” from The Village Ukraine.
• Pavlo Vrzheshch - the co-founder and creative director of the Ukrainian advertising agency Banda Agency. He is included in the list of “100 Most Influential Ukrainians” according to Focus magazine. He has received more than 200 awards from creative festivals.

It should be recalled that within the framework of the All-Ukrainian mental health program, on the initiative of Olena Zelenska, a communication campaign was launched, the purpose of which is to promote the formation of a culture of caring for mental health in society, give understanding and show tools that will help Ukrainians take care of their internal state.

A special page has been created as part of the campaign https://howareu.com. Facebook Instagram, Telegram, Viber were launched, where self-help and support techniques for people nearby are collected, in particular in video formats, in a PDF first-aid kit, online and offline resources to ask for help from trusted ones, hotline contacts for calls in Ukraine and abroad, and so on.

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine coordinates the development and implementation of the All-Ukrainian mental health program. The World Health Organization is an expert partner, and the executive partner is the non-governmental organization “Barrier-Free". The interdepartmental coordination council under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is a platform for developing and making decisions. The communication campaign is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).