Publications

Stories of Impact

Imagine the world where people get the help they need, when they need it the most. We strive to achieve that vision every day.

Addressing the Needs of Ukrainian Veterans

September 18, 2024|
A group of Ukrainian veterans and mental health professionals sit in a classroom to discuss the war's toll on mental health.

The “Hidden Wounds of War” conference held in Lithuania through support from BBF Global Relief brought more than 100 Ukrainian veterans and mental health professionals together to discuss the war’s toll on mental health. | Photo courtesy of Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry

Funding from BBF Global Relief supported a three-day conference in Kaunas, Lithuania, that addressed the mental health needs of Ukrainian war veterans.

Held in May 2024, “Hidden Wounds of War” brought over 100 Ukrainian veterans and mental health professionals together to discuss interventions aimed at helping Ukrainian soldiers recover from the traumas of war.

A group of mental health professionals gather on a stage for a discussion about mental health.
Experts at the “Hidden Wounds of War” conference participate in the panel discussion “How to Meet the Veterna Needs in Ukraine when Resources are Limited?” | Photo courtesy of Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry

The conference, hosted by the Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry (FGIP), took place over three days. The event began with a public conference that shed light on the complexity of war traumas and potential solutions for handling them. Subsequent conference sessions gave experts the opportunity to brainstorm different research methods and services that can address the issue in sustainable and affordable ways.  

Founded in 1980, Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry (FGIP) is a group of non-governmental organizations that promote humane and ethical mental health care for all people, especially those in marginalized or underserved communities. The organization, which formed in response to the Soviet Union’s imprisonment of dissidents in psychiatric hospitals, has played an active role in addressing a mental health crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  

Robert van Voren speaks at a podium at a mental health conference.
Robert van Voren, chief executive of Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry, speaks at the “Hidden Wounds of War” conference held in Kulaunus, Lithuania in May 2024. | Photo courtesy of Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry

BBF has supported many of FGIP’s initiatives in Ukraine, including the purchase of generators and headlamps for mental health facilities that lost power during the war and the creation of a mental health crisis center in Lithuania, where Ukrainian refugees can access mental health care without experiencing language barriers.  

“The Brother’s Brother Foundation has been a key supporter of our work since the invasion, understanding that extreme situations need an immediate response,” says Robert van Voren, chief executive of FGIP. “BBF has been there all along and made it all happen.”

Posted in