More than 6,000 family doctors have signed up for an online course on managing common mental disorders using the mhGAP guidelines

The launch of the online course “Managing Common Mental Disorders at the Primary Level of Medical Care Using the mhGAP Guidelines” was announced during the forum held at the end of last year for medical professionals. 

Online course is intended for primary care workers (family doctors, internists, pediatricians, nurses) in order to gain knowledge about the management of common mental disorders in people with the corresponding conditions.

During the war, the demand for psychological assistance increased significantly. Among the total number of visits to family doctors, the share of questions about mental health has significantly increased in recent months. Therefore, appropriate training of primary care specialists is very important. 

One of the elements of such training is the mentioned online course, the creation of which was initiated by the MoH together with WHO as part of the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska to create a national program of mental health and psychosocial support. The fact that the course is too relevant is confirmed by the large number of people who want to take it. Only during the first week since its start on December 29, 2022, more than 6,000 participants registered for the training.  

Please note that registration for an online course for primary care workers is available here https://academy.nszu.gov.ua/enrol/index.php?id=183 on the platform of the NHSU Academy. 

This course is based on mhGAP training materials, and its completion will allow primary care physicians to provide medical services under the new package of the medical guarantee program “Support and Treatment of Adults and Children with Mental Disorders at the Primary Level of Medical Care”*.

First of all, it is family doctors who are invited to study, so that they can master their knowledge as quickly as possible and help our citizens who have mental health problems. 

The course was developed by a group of specialists in mental health and general practice/family medicine with experience working with the mhGAP program, with the general coordination of the NHSU Academy, expert support from WHO, and the leadership of the MoH of Ukraine. Specialists of the Academy of Family Medicine of Ukraine, the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Mental Health for Ukraine”, the public organization “Proliska” and the USAID project “Support for Healthcare Reform” took part in the development of the course. 

Health professionals of medical guarantee program who want to gain in-depth knowledge of the mhGAP program and develop skills in managing mental disorders can receive face-to-face training from WHO and partners. To do this, they need to fill out an online form at the link: https://forms.gle/kPsQ41rxjwY1jXuJ8

For reference: mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Action Program) is the global flagship WHO program aimed at increasing access to mental health services by engaging non-specialized mental health personnel (e.g. family doctors) to help people with mental disorders. The mhGAP guide and its version for emergency humanitarian conditions offer general practitioners’ protocols for the diagnosis and management of common mental disorders such as depression, acute stress response, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal behavior, substance use disorders, and other disorders.

* Aware of the impact of the war on the mental health of the population and the need for an immediate response to the growing need for mental health services, the MoH and NHSU in November 2022 introduced a new package “Support and Treatment of Adults and Children with Mental Disorders at the Primary Level of Medical Care” as part of the program of medical guarantees.  Primary medical care institutions where at least 20% of medical personnel have the appropriate level of training can sign a contract with the NHSU for a new package.