In mobile clinics, MSF psychologists are dedicated to educating patients on the importance of mental health and how it affects their overall well-being. They offer guidance on improving sleep quality, managing anxiety and tension, and providing psycho-educational training to communities on coping with stress. These basic techniques and support are crucial in stabilizing a patient’s emotional state and preventing the development of cardiovascular disease and mental disorders.
In more complex cases, MSF psychologists may need to provide long-term support. An example of this was seen in October 2023, when MSF psychologists offered mental health assistance to survivors of a devastating missile attack on a café in the village of Hroza in Kharkiv. The attack resulted in the loss of loved ones from 15 families out of the village’s population of 330 residents, as reported by authorities and the UN.
Victoria Lepekha, a mental health supervisor with MSF, reflected on the aftermath of the attack by stating, “After [those] wounded in this attack were taken to hospital, our psychologists worked with them. There were six people with serious injuries, some of them in the head, with impaired brain activity and speech. They all lost their families… People who are experiencing acute grief all need support, [someone] to listen to them, to sympathize with them, to hold their hands, even to cry with them.” This type of emotional support is crucial in helping individuals cope with trauma and grief in the wake of such tragic events.