In the midst of chaos and destruction, a woman’s hands trembled as her eyes fixated on the massive hole in the side of a towering high-rise. Apartments spilled out from the building, leaving a scene of devastation. Standing beside her was Ivanka Davydenko, a 29-year-old psychologist, clad in a blue uniform that proudly displayed her title. With a compassionate arm placed gently across the woman’s back, Ivanka handed her a paper cup of water and offered her assistance. The distraught woman explained that her son resided on the 18th floor, and he was not answering his phone. Most of that floor had been obliterated.
Ivanka shared, “We assist people in times like these because they are in a state of shock and often don’t know what they need. We offer simple things like water, coffee, and blankets.”
Ivanka was a member of a specialized team within Ukraine’s State Emergency Services, providing psychological first aid during moments of crisis in the capital city of Kyiv. She swiftly arrived on the scene minutes after a Russian attack took place on the morning of June 24. Fragments from missiles destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses caused havoc, ripping through apartments.
Russia’s relentless attacks on Ukraine have forced emergency crews to confront not only the physical dangers of fires, smoke, and blood, but also the devastating psychological impact endured by those living through a warzone. Public health experts warn that millions of Ukrainians will likely develop mental health conditions due to the invasion, and this number will continue to rise as the days of bombardment, violence, and grief persist.
To address this issue, Ukraine’s emergency crews now include psychologists like Ivanka in addition to firefighters, paramedics, and police officers. These psychologists provide aid to individuals dealing with immediate shock or acute mental health needs. Similar efforts are underway in other cities, but with the continuous barrage of Russian missiles, the Kyiv team remains exceptionally busy.
Liubov Kirnos, the manager of the Kyiv unit, explained, “Previously, we responded to major emergencies that required mass evacuation, like gas explosions. But since the war began, we have been on call 24/7, never leaving the city.”
Just like other emergency workers, the psychologists are always ready to respond. A coordination center alerts them when an attack occurs, and they rush to the scene. Upon arrival, psychologists often encounter people in tears, frozen with shock, or on the verge of breakdowns.
“When meeting someone for the first time, we ask, ‘What do you need right now? How are you feeling?'” shared Ms. Kirnos. Sometimes, individuals simply ask for the psychologists’ presence. “They may expect their loved ones to be rescued from the rubble,” she explained.
This was the case with the mother Ivanka supported on June 24. They walked together as the mother consulted a list of people taken to hospitals or missing. However, a firefighter informed them in a hushed tone that there was nothing left on the 18th floor where her son had resided.
Residents had been startled awake when the strike ripped open their building before dawn. The force of the explosion sent bodies hurtling from the structure, along with twisted metal, insulation, and fragments of furniture, which scattered across the parking lot below.
According to Ivanka, dozens of people stood in shock, including witnesses to deaths and others who were wounded but unaware they were bleeding. Over the course of around 12 hours, Ivanka and her colleague provided assistance to approximately 45 individuals on the site. One of them was Iryna Kuts, a 62-year-old woman who approached Ivanka with her trembling daughter, desperately in need of water and a moment to speak.
Iryna described being jolted awake in her 19th-floor apartment, her room quickly filling with smoke. “We were hugging each other, thinking we would suffocate,” she recalled. With the help of police officers, they eventually made their way down the stairs but found themselves numbly inspecting the ruins of their former home.
Ivanka explained, “We offer psychological first aid to people experiencing anxiety, stress, crying, and aggression. Then we assist those who gather on benches or in the yard because it’s like a second emotional wave crashing over them.”
A young woman wearing a white tank top, who had been wandering the parking lot in tears, was brought over. This woman’s father, also a resident, had survived the attack but was refusing to leave the building. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” Ivanka reassured her, gripping her arm and informing her that firefighters would help her father. “But you cannot go in; no one can.”
She waited anxiously until the father emerged, and the young woman collapsed into his arms, sobbing with relief.
Unfortunately, not everyone would experience such a fortunate reunion. Later that day, Ivanka accompanied the mother and her husband, who had been searching for their son, to examine the mutilated remains of a body. While official DNA confirmation was still pending, it was highly likely that the remains belonged to their son, as the psychologist explained.
The following day, city officials confirmed that five people had lost their lives in the attack.
Experts in public health, such as Dr. Jarno Habicht, head of the World Health Organization’s office in Ukraine, have issued warnings about the long-term and pervasive effects of the war on mental health. In an interview, he stated that an estimated 10 million people in Ukraine would likely develop some form of mental health condition due to Russia’s invasion. This estimate is expected to rise as the war drags on, with experts expressing particular concern about stress-induced disorders, including anxiety and depression.
Dr. Habicht emphasized the importance of addressing mental health concerns in Ukraine without delay. “Waiting until the war is over” is not a viable solution, he said.
Several programs have been initiated to aid Ukrainians in their mental health struggles, including one led by Olena Zelenska, the first lady, which aims to make high-quality and affordable mental health services accessible throughout the country. Furthermore, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, along with the World Health Organization and various other partners, has launched a program to train primary care physicians in treating patients with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal behavior, and substance abuse.
However, initiatives like the emergency psychology team focus on providing early intervention during moments of crisis.
“If stress isn’t addressed immediately, it can develop into long-term stress, which can then lead to PTSD,” explained Ms. Kirnos. “Our aim is to help people realize that they were in danger but are now safe. If we don’t act promptly, people may get trapped in this state.”
Nonetheless, the burden for those providing psychological care can be overwhelming. Several days after the missile attack in Kyiv, Ivanka mentioned that team members were seeking therapy themselves to process the traumatic scenes they had witnessed.
“I am also human,” she acknowledged.
Reported by Oleksandr Chubko and Oleksandra Mykolyshyn.
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