Consequences of the Ukraine war
Association: A third of the refugees will become mentally ill
Experts are appealing for sufficient funds to be made available to help refugees from Ukraine cope psychologically with the events. Photo: Robert Michael/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders: Experts warn of the psychological consequences for refugees from Ukraine. There are already too few therapy places in Germany.
According to expert estimates, around a third of Ukrainian refugees will suffer from serious mental illnesses: depression, anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorders.
The managing director of the nationwide working group of psychosocial centers for refugees and victims of torture, Lukas Welz, told the editorial network Germany: “If these sufferings are not addressed through counseling, support and therapy, they can become chronic and lead to decades or even lifelong health problems.”
But even before the war there were too few therapy places and long waiting lists for traumatized people who were looking for protection from torture, war and persecution in Germany. Welz appealed to the federal and state governments to enable rapid and adequate funding for psychosocial care for refugees who have experienced torture and war.