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Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure EU-2022-16/2398 – measures in European Union

Mental health support for refugees from Ukraine

Country European Union , applies eu-wide (or beyond)
Time period Open ended, started on 13 April 2022
Context COVID-19, War in Ukraine
Type Other initiatives or policies
Category Measures to prevent social hardship
– Access to healthcare
Author Barbara Surdykowska and Eurofound
Measure added 20 May 2022 (updated 21 June 2022)

Background information

The European Commission has mobilized €9 million from the EU4Health program to help people fleeing Ukraine who urgently need mental health services and trauma support.

EU4Health is a program established under Regulation (EU) 2021/522. It is intended to be an ambitious EU response to the COVID-19 pandemic and goes beyond crisis response to health system resilience as well. The program will provide funding to eligible entities, health and non-governmental organizations from EU or non-EU countries associated with the program.

Content of measure

Additional EU funding mobilized by the Commission will allow the International Federation of Red Cross Societies and NGOs to support healthcare professionals in the performance of their work. It will also provide mental health services in the form of psychological first aid, health assessment, psychological traumatic support and counseling for refugees in their own languages.

Following this, on 21 April 2022 the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) under the EU4Health Annual Work Program 2022 launched a call to provide mental health and psychosocial support for displaced persons from Ukraine. The aim of the call is to support the exchange of best practices and to raise awareness and share knowledge to support Ukrainian / Russian-speaking health workers working with displaced persons arriving from Ukraine. These activities will contribute to alleviating the serious problems related to mental health and psychologically traumatic experiences of groups particularly vulnerable to the effects of the war in Ukraine.

Use of measure

No information available to date.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Does not apply to businesses Migrants or refugees

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
EU (Council, EC, EP)
European Funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role No involvement No involvement
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • No involvement
  • Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners were not involved.

Views and reactions

Lack of reaction of social partners.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 13 April 2022: Ukraine: Commission allocates €9 million for mental health assistance of Ukrainian refugeesNegotiations (ec.europa.eu)
  • 21 April 2022: EUR 2 million call for mental health assistance to Ukrainian refugees (hadea.ec.europa.eu)

Citation

Eurofound (2022), Mental health support for refugees from Ukraine, measure EU-2022-16/2398 (measures in European Union), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/EU-2022-16_2398.html

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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.