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Mental health support for Ukrainian displaced people
Project type
Implementation, Humanitarian Emergency
Date
2022-2024
Location
Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Netherlands
Role
Vitalii Klymchuk was a leader for the Communication/Dissemination package
Project description
The U-RISE project (2022–2024), coordinated by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), aimed to improve the mental well-being of Ukrainian displaced individuals across Europe by implementing scalable, evidence-based psychological interventions tailored to their needs and contexts. Running from December 2022 to December 2024, the project addressed urgent mental health challenges among Ukrainian refugees through a multi-country, community-driven approach.
The project pursued three main objectives. First, it mobilised a European network of Ukrainian and Russian-speaking mental health professionals, fostering knowledge exchange and collaborative learning with NGOs, international agencies, and grassroots actors. Second, it strengthened local implementation capacity in Slovakia, Poland, and Romania by training NGOs and community organisations to deliver low-intensity psychological interventions, such as the WHO-endorsed Problem Management Plus (PM+) and Self-Help Plus (SH+), through both face-to-face and mobile health (mHealth) solutions. Third, U-RISE developed strategies for the sustainable scale-up of these services, ensuring their long-term accessibility across the EU.
The project adapted and disseminated training materials aligned with national health systems and cultural contexts, trained trainers and frontline helpers, and promoted the use of scalable stepped-care models. It also created referral roadmaps to accelerate access to more intensive mental health care when needed.
U-RISE was implemented in partnership with leading institutions including the WHO Collaborating Center at the University of Verona, International Medical Corps, TENENET, PHONEO, ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, and the University of Luxembourg. Through a combination of innovation, collaboration, and strategic capacity-building, U-RISE made a meaningful contribution to improving mental health outcomes for Ukrainian refugees and building resilient community-based support systems across Europe.