MHM Magazine

© Fanny Hostettler FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN WORK WITH US: VISIT: MSF.ORG.ZA/WORK-WITH-US It has been more than a year since the Ukraine- Russia war significantly escalated. Many people have been displaced, separated from their families, and left with life-altering trauma. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has launched a psychological support programme in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, to assist people in coping with loneliness, stress, and prevailing cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MSF psychologists currently see around 30 patients for weekly consultations. Firstly, patients will be diagnosed after an assessment with a doctor and a psychologist. Thereafter, MSF psychologists use evidence-based practices at consultations, which involves stabilisation, trauma processing and reintegration into social life. At the reintegration stage, art therapy and creativity are prioritised in group settings, where patients can start growing bonds with others and manage their stress through expression. Anastasia Nedieva, MSF health promotion supervisor in Vinnytsia, has been working with MSF since 2015. Due to the war, in 2022, she developed PTSD. She shares how MSF assisted in her recovery journey: Psychological counselling and my work, the feeling of being involved, helped me to recover. I know from my own experience that PTSD is a wound that does not heal completely. Even talking about it now hurts. But we started the project, and we succeeded. We have helped about 2,000 people since the project launch. Everyone on our team understands how much it hurts, how di cult it is to talk about it and how good it feels once you talk about it and get professional support. Leaving the centre, you realise that the sun is beautiful, and the green leaves are beautiful. You really want to get on with your life. Healing through Art & Creativity in War-torn Ukraine © F l o r e n c e D o z o l