Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Germany) and Bohomolets National Medical University (Kyiv, Ukraine)

A Memorandum of Understanding between the institutions was signed during the International Medical Partnership Conference held in Kyiv on May 22, 2024, with the participation of the First Lady of Ukraine and the Minister of Health of Ukraine.

This collaboration represents a significant step in advancing mental health care in Ukraine. The key areas of cooperation include:

Trainings and educational programs:

• Ongoing training on Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) as a short-term intervention for victims of traumatic events.
  
  
• Educational programs for psychologists and psychotherapists on group therapy, within the project "Expanding Capacity to Support Victims of Traumatic Events."
  
  

Scientific research:

• Joint research initiatives, including dissertation work by postgraduate students on the effective prevention of physician burnout.
  
  

Bioethics training:

• Development of a bioethics-focused project, including a two-day training program on burnout prevention for healthcare providers.
  
  

Video lectures and online resources:

• Production and dissemination of video lectures on the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to be shared on the Charité online platform.
  
  

Psychological support tools:

• Improvement of an online support program for survivors of violence and loss through the chatbot "Phoenix."
  
  

Therapy effectiveness research:

• Design of a comparative study to assess the effectiveness of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) versus mindfulness-based approaches and standard psychotherapy in treating PTSD.
  
  

Development of VRET scenarios:

• Request for the development of VRET exposure scripts and scenario templates tailored for civilians, including the creation of a questionnaire to build a scenario database.
  
  

This partnership aims not only to enhance the qualifications of mental health professionals but also to improve the quality of psychotherapeutic support for trauma survivors. It paves the way for integrating state-of-the-art international mental health practices into Ukraine’s medical system.