For people fleeing the war in Ukraine, providing practical assistance is a priority to aid in psychosocial recovery.
Peter van der Velden, Professor of Victims and Mental Health, Tilburg University
Ivan Komproe, former professor of Collective Trauma, HealthNetTPO, Amsterdam
Michel Dückers, Professor of Crises, Safety and Health, University of Groningen
Rolf Kleber, Professor of Psychotraumatology, Utrecht University
How do we best help Ukrainian war refugees? Previous wars and disasters have shown that in this phase practical aid and support is an absolute priority. Other care will come later. The goal now is to reduce the stress as much as possible or at least make it more bearable. In this way, a refugee can mentally gain some order in the disorder of the war, in order to be able to deal with the new circumstances.
That practical help can consist of large and small things. It goes without saying that safe housing is necessary, with as few disruptive relocations as possible. Some of the refugees depend on medicines: a quick inventory and allocation of these is obvious.
But something as seemingly simple as a smartphone can also make a big difference. The need for contact with and information about loved ones who have been left behind is very urgent. It helps you as an individual to deal with this crisis. Terrible stories can be confronting, but contact and information are more important. After all, uncertainty creates and reinforces mental turmoil. Contact also supports those who are left behind. The provision of means of communication such as mobile phones is therefore very important.
Ukrainian refugees do not know if they will ever return. That is why it is important that they can quickly resume their normal daily activities. Attending school or training, (partly) working, providing care or doing household chores: it is all crucial to regain some control over your life. Persistent powerlessness undermines mental health.
Despite all the horrors they may have witnessed, refugees do not lose their minds, nor their knowledge or their judgment. They themselves are the best source of information about the quality of the help provided. They can think of and execute what is needed much better than others. Among them are also medics, teachers, interpreters and other care providers. That is why the involvement of refugees must be an integral part of the practical assistance. This contributes to the restoration of control, and certainly to the sense of purpose.
No matter how well we try, we cannot prevent or solve all problems at this stage. For example, some of the refugees will have to deal with serious psychological problems such as PTSD, anxiety disorder or depression. This is an important role for mental health care. Let volunteers and municipalities now focus on the practical matters that make the stress more manageable. After all, the ongoing war and horrors still feed the fear and uncertainty on a daily basis. Their loved ones there are still affected by this on a daily basis.
This article was published in the Financieel Dagblad on the 18th March 2022. Read the full article here (in Dutch).
