Prioritizing basic needs The people of Ukraine will have many needs in the coming months and years. The most pressing priority at this stage of the emerging catastrophe is to ensure physical safety and to meet other basic needs such as food, shelter, and access to medicines.If you choose to help financially, a good way to do this is to make a donation to any of the following established organizations: The Disasters Emergency Committee Unicef Medecins Sans Frontiers
There will inevitably be psychological fallout from this war. In anticipation of this – and in the hope that it will be helpful when the time is right – we have translated a selection of trauma psychoeducation resources into Ukrainian and are making them available free for everyone to download and use.
What resources are available in Ukrainian?
How Trauma Can Affect You Symptoms experienced post-trauma can be physically and emotionally powerful and can feel especially disturbing if the person doesn’t know why they are occurring. This illustrated information handout describes and normalizes common reactions to traumatic events, including feeling scared, having unwanted memories, or having nightmares and sleeping badly. It can help children and adolescents to understand that they are experiencing normal reactions to powerful events. It can also be used to help wider family and other people to understand how young people might be feeling.
Reactions To Trauma This is an information handout designed for adults. It describes symptoms which commonly follow trauma – including re-experiencing symptoms, hyperarousal, and avoidance. It also gives helpful pointers about what to do to help someone who has experienced trauma.
Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder This is a guide designed to help people with PTSD to understand more about their condition. As well as a description of trauma, symptoms of PTSD, and effective treatments, this guide explores key maintenance factors for PTSD including: unprocessed memories, beliefs about trauma and its consequences, and coping strategies including avoidance.Written in a friendly and explanatory way, this guide is a comprehensive source of information for those with PTSD. The concepts are explained in an easily digestible way, with case examples and accessible diagrams.
What can you do to help? We would like these resources to help as many people as possible. With your support we can reach a much wider network of people who have been affected by this crisis. Please share this article with colleagues, and anyone or anywhere you think the tools might be useful. You don’t need to be a member of Psychology Tools to download these resources in Ukrainian and they are completely free.Best wishes,The Psychology Tools Team
