Ukraine Marks World Mental Health Day With Focus on Accessibility and Empathy

On World Mental Health Day, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska highlighted the country’s growing commitment to mental well-being during a visit to the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, meeting with psychology and social work students shaping the future of mental health care.

At the event, Zelenska underscored the central goal of Ukraine’s nationwide mental health initiative, “How Are You?” — to bring psychological support closer to people by making it accessible, free, and community-based.

“Bringing mental health support as close to people as possible, in their native cities and villages, making it accessible, friendly, and free, is the goal,” she said, noting the university’s vital role in training the specialists the country urgently needs.

The scale of this training is significant: last year alone, the university graduated 218 bachelors and 165 masters in psychology and social work. Currently, nearly 2,000 students study in the Faculty of Psychology, with more than 400 specializing in military psychology and pedagogy — a growing field amid the ongoing impacts of war.

Building Empathy Into Education

Zelenska participated in “Touches of Support: An Empathy Workshop,” a new initiative that will now be a mandatory part of the adaptation period for all first-year students. Similar workshops were held simultaneously across 30 universities in 20 regions, reflecting a nationwide effort to normalize conversations around mental health and emotional support from the start of students’ academic journeys.

The First Lady also met with graduates of the Peer-to-Peer program, a pioneering initiative that prepares veterans to support fellow veterans and servicemembers. Zelenska expressed hope that this peer support model will soon be formally recognized as a profession, allowing resilience and rehabilitation centers to hire trained specialists directly.

Collective Action and Public Engagement

As part of the day’s activities, Zelenska visited the “Touches of Support” exhibition, part of a broader communication campaign encouraging Ukrainians to share acts of kindness and support. Coordinated events across the country involved tens of thousands of participants, showing the power of small gestures in strengthening mental resilience.

The initiative also saw strong backing from the Business Without Barriers community, with companies sharing stories of their employees’ and clients’ supportive actions. To mark the day, the campaign released a sticker pack featuring Antarctic animals, developed in partnership with the National Antarctic Scientific Center, as a creative reminder of the importance of mental health.

Through education, peer support, community action, and public awareness, Ukraine continues to weave mental health into the fabric of everyday life — a crucial investment in the nation’s strength and resilience amid ongoing challenges.