Meet Alisa
“Hi, my name is Alisa, I’m [a] psychologist, my position is mental health supervisor. I’ve been working with MSF since April 2022. Most of my work is related to the field visits and working with patients in the different locations in the south of Ukraine.”
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Morning preparations
“So, let’s start. My work day-to-day starts at 8 a.m. after another attack on Ukraine. Usually, we have a briefing before going to the sites. We familiarize ourselves with the context and safety rules.”
Question: How many MSF staff members are responding to the war in Ukraine?
There are 685 Ukrainian MSF staff and approximately 116 international MSF staff who are helping respond to the war. Our staff work as surgeons, doctors, nurses, logistics and administration workers, and psychologists like Alissa.
Working in a war zone
“Then we go to the villages in the south of Ukraine which are about 10 or 15 kilometers from the front line. That’s why we work in bulletproof vests which we put on before the zone if possible.”
“When we arrive at the locations, we provide individual counseling for anyone who needs it and group activities for children and adults. Of course, the priority in group activities is given to medical workers who will stay to work with patients in the future, when we leave. The emphasis is on preventing professional burnout and [providing] emotional support.”
Question: Why is MSF focusing on mental health care in Ukraine?
MSF is filling critical gaps in Ukraine's health care system by providing psychological counseling services. Through group and individual therapy, our teams have helped people who've been wounded by bombardments, people who've been displaced by the war, or people who've lost friends or family members.
Debriefing at the office
“On average, this includes three to four individual consultations and one to two group sessions. Upon returning to the office, a debriefing is held, documentation and reports are filled out, further plans, schedules, etc. are discussed.”
Question: How many people in Ukraine have MSF staff treated for mental health care?
MSF has provided some 13,600 individual mental health consultations since the war in Ukraine began.
Evening self-care
“After a hard day at work, after all the difficult stories, only self-help saves me. In my case, there are two options: either communicating with family and friends or being alone and taking time for myself.”
“For the latter I might choose to sing my favorite songs, read a book, go for a walk, eat something delicious etc. So that the next morning I can get up with regained strength, desire to help people, and provide support to those who need it."