Today the Ukraine marks a very poignant and painful ‘Defenders Day’, an annual date when Ukrainians pay tribute to those who have died for the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the nation.
This week’s Russian missile attacks on cities across Ukraine are a stark reminder of the importance of Ukraine’s frontline defenders and the constant dangers that civilians face since the full-scale invasion began earlier this year.
More than 80 missiles were fired at a range of cities on Monday, killing many people and destroying critical infrastructure. The day-time targets included residential blocks, commuter roads and playgrounds – a continuation of the largest aerial assault on civilians in Europe since the Second World War.
The missile attacks coincided with World Mental Health Day – an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy.
Mental health support remains one of the most significant areas of need for the more than
4,000 Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in Australia since February, says Dr Tanya Dus, a Consultant Psychiatrist at Sydney’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
Dr Dus – a Ukrainian speaker who has family members in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital – says
news and footage of missile attacks on civilian targets exacerbate the trauma, anxiety
and guilt suffered by those who have fled the war.
“People’s lives changed overnight with the February invasion, with many women and their
children being forced to flee Ukraine immediately,” she says.
“These are people who were leading what we would consider ‘normal lives’, but who now
experience a complex set of emotions and stresses in a completely foreign environment.”
Dr Dus works with colleagues throughout NSW Health and volunteers within the local
Ukrainian Australian community to provide support to refugees whose needs vary greatly
according to age, health, family and education. She said all are grateful for the opportunity to repatriate to a safe, wealthy country far from the fighting; but says many struggle to
manage a mix of survivor guilt and uncertainty regarding their loved ones in Ukraine.
“Ukrainians are stoic people, who are unlikely to ask for help or admit that they are
struggling,” she says.
“This is partly due to a deep suspicion of government and institutional psychiatry – a
consequence of previous oppression in Soviet times – and, in some cases, a result of
survivor guilt.”
Families have been torn apart, with women and children forced to seek safety while their
husbands, fathers and brothers have remained in Ukraine to assist with the war effort. The
war’s blanket coverage on social media and graphic real-time reporting further heighten the
trauma, helplessness and anger.
“Some of the people we help feel very much caught between two worlds,” Dr Dus says.
“They are grateful for the immense support and kindness Australia provides, however their
hearts and minds are still in Ukraine, where loved ones have been maimed, killed, forced
into asylum or even deported into the Russian Federation.”
Dr Dus says some migrants – notably those from eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region –
are facing their second forced migration since 2014, while others are depressed by
the realisation that their homes and communities have been decimated.
Upcoming months will provide a stark reminder to many Ukrainian refugees that they are a
long way from home and their support networks. A hard Christmas and New Year await.
“This time last year, Ukrainians were readying themselves for winter and Christmas like any
other,” Dr Dus says.
“Now they look ahead to these family celebrations and think: ‘will we ever be back together
again?’”
Help Ukraine now: donate to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal (tax deductible and run in
partnership with Rotary Australia) and save lives.
