In 2023, 135,000 Ukrainians had mental health problems: what exactly

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During 2023, almost 135,000 Ukrainians complained of mental health problems. Among them are more than 72,000 women and 18,000 children.

They received help from family doctors who recently provide mental health services, informs Ministry of Health.

According to the Electronic Health Care System, doctors received the most calls from patients suffering from anxiety (over 66,000) and sleep disorders (almost 43,000).

In addition, Ukrainians complained about:

• depressed mood (almost 11 thousand appeals);
• memory impairment (more than 6 thousand);
• psychological reaction to stress (almost 5.4 thousand);
• excessive irritability or anger (approximately 4.7 thousand);
• feelings and behavior of an elderly person (over 2.5 thousand).
  

More than 27,000 appeals were related to other symptoms, and almost 5,000 were related to other disorders.

Also, more than 7,700 complaints related to children’s behavior.

According to the Ministry of Health, family doctors and pediatricians referred some patients with such problems to neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists.

In order to provide mental health care, doctors had to complete the online course “Management of common mental disorders in primary care using the mhGAP guidelines”.

It provides an opportunity for non-specialists in psychological care (family doctors, therapists, pediatricians) to acquire knowledge and skills for working with the mental health of patients. Primary care physicians can provide basic services and, if necessary, refer to a specialist.

Such services are absolutely free of charge, because they are provided within the limits Programs of medical guaranteesthe ministry emphasized.

Currently, such services are provided by family doctors from more than 1,000 medical facilities that have already concluded an agreement with the National Health Service of Ukraine. You can view their list at interactive map.

We used to toldhow to care for the mental health of the elderly.