Many Ukrainians fleeing the war in their country are likely to suffer severe mental health issues in the long-term, experts believe. They worry that all refugees could soon face even longer wait periods before they can get help, as demand for counseling exceeds availabilities.
Experts said this week that the need for mental health support across Europe has increased significantly, given that many of the more than five million people who have fled Ukraine have suffered traumatic experiences.
About a third of Ukrainian refugees will develop depression, anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), estimates Lukas Welz, executive director of the Federal Association of Psychosocial Centers for Refugees and Torture Victims (BAfF) in Germany.
"If their sufferings is not addressed through counseling, support and therapy, they can become chronically ill, leading to decades-long or even lifelong health burdens," Welz told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) newspaper group.
"A (higher) risk of suicide can also be a consequence of unaddressed severe trauma," he added.
Read more: Refugees from Ukraine need 'urgent' psychological care
Growing number of traumatized refugees
IOM chief Antonio Vitorino shared a similar estimate earlier this week, telling the the UN Security Council that in mass displacement situations, up to 30 percent of the population could be expected to experience some form of negative psychological impact and mental health problems. He said that that number would "undoubtedly" increase if "the war continues and intensifies."
Earlier in April, Rita Rosner, an expert on post-traumatic stress, said that the number of Ukrainian refugees likely to suffer serious psychological trauma and mental health issues was going to rise in the coming weeks and months.
"The longer the war lasts, the more severely traumatized the people who come to us will be," said Rosner, who is a professor for clinical and biological psychology at the Catholic University in Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany.
Read more: UNHCR urges refugee access to mental healthcare
Not enough resources available
Lukas Welz of BAfF appealed to federal and state governments in Germany and beyond to provide rapid and adequate funding for psychosocial care for refugees who have experienced torture and war.
The number of mental health care providers for refugees in Germany -- the largest EU country, which hosts one of the largest refugee populations across Europe -- was already critically low before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Welz said. Now, he fears that the already long waiting lists for people seeking psychological counseling could become even longer.
"Health is a human right. However, a large proportion of people seeking protection in Germany from torture, war and persecution are left alone with their experiences of trauma," he said.
Read more: Psychotherapists demand better mental health care for asylum seekers in Germany
Helpers also susceptible to suffering post-traumatic stress
Rita Rosner meanwhile also issued a warning to people helping refugees from Ukraine, such as volunteers. She said that they might also be susceptible to mental health issues in the long-term.
"At the moment, everyone watches the news all day long. You try to get as much information as you can. But at the same time, you can't do much to change anything. That's why you have to be careful to give yourself the right dose of new consumption," she told the epd news agency.
"This also applies to the helpers. They need rest periods, especially those who offer their help for the first time. They need to establish a safety threshold so that they don't do too much and get a stress reaction themselves."
Read more: WHO study finds psychological self-help effective in preventing refugee mental disorders
with KNA, epd, AFP