The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) and the Danish Red Cross are implementing a new project to support the mental health of those affected by the war unleashed by Russia.

"The team of the URCS Department of Rehabilitation and Support, along with the Danish Red Cross, has started implementing a new project – providing group and individual counseling, as well as conducting psycho-educational sessions for the population affected by the war in Ukraine," the society said on Facebook on Monday.

According to URCS, psychoeducational sessions or psychoeducation are providing people with complete reliable information on how to overcome stress on their own in conditions of uncertainty, and in which cases it is necessary to seek help from a specialist.

The project's goal is to help people overcome stress, survive the consequences of crisis events, prevent the development of mental disorders, and gain access to quality support.

The program started in Dnipro with a five-day training session on counseling future Ukrainian Red Cross consultants and psychologists from Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia and Dnipro. The training participants updated their knowledge and gained new skills in conducting mental health counseling sessions. Particular attention was paid to cases involving sexual and gender-based violence or risk to human life.

Experienced trainers Bethan McEvoy and Olha Mokhno from the Danish Red Cross, as well as their colleagues from URCS Dan Humenny and Natalia Yarotska, have trained the first team of consultants, which has already started its activity. The first session for the elderly was held in Dnipro.

The society said the Red Cross consultants will only provide basic support, that is, in cases where the person is able to cope with stress on their own.

The project is being implemented as part of the National Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Program, initiated by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.