Conference Agenda

This presentation examines the evolving landscape of suicide prevention in Ukraine, specifically addressing the critical challenges posed by the ongoing war. Since 2022, the cessation of official suicide statistics has necessitated new methods for assessing mental health crises. Current estimates for 2024 suggest a suicide rate of approximately 16.0 per 100,000 (twice the EU average), with youth (ages 15-24) identified as a high-priority demographic requiring urgent, targeted interventions. High prevalence of suicidal ideation is also noted among vulnerable groups, including patients in opioid agonist therapy (OAT) programs and the Romani population.

In response, Ukraine is developing a comprehensive National Suicide Prevention Strategy focusing on six key pillars: improved registration systems, restricted access to means, reduced alcohol consumption, responsible media coverage, enhanced social-emotional life skills, and early community-level identification. Second major development in the transformation of the school psychological support system towards greater flexibility, distributed responsibilities and diversification of the service providers.

One of the interventions, developed in line with this proactive approach, is the Universal Mental Health Training (UMHT) program. Designed for frontline professionals (such as educators, social workers, and police), the UMHT utilises a standardised five-step model (Recognise, Validate, Support, Refer, and Ensure) to equip non-mental health workers with evidence-based skills to identify and manage 18 mental health conditions and three emergency states, including suicidal attempts and ideations. Furthermore, the Mental Health Sensitive School (MHSS) framework integrates mental health as a fundamental pillar of education through a tiered support model and competency-driven policies. By shifting tasks to community-level helpers and embedding mental health into educational settings, Ukraine aims to bridge the treatment gap and foster a resilient environment for its people amidst national instability.