Quarter of Ukrainians at risk of serious mental disorders due to war - WHO

A quarter of Ukraine's population is at risk of severe mental issues due to the full-scale war Russia unleashed almost a year ago.

This was reported by the special adviser of the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe, Michel Kazatchkine, Ukrinform wrote with reference to Reuters.

"WHO estimates that at this time, one out of four people in Ukraine is at risk of severe mental health conditions," Kazatchkine told reporters.

Describing his recent visit to the Ukrainian city of Dnipro, Kazatchkine said he saw dozens of servicemen hospitalized with "acute and tragic anxiety, depression and psychiatric conditions."

"Mental health is becoming a predominant public health issue in Ukraine," he told reporters in Geneva.

Kazatchkine, who is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, added that the war and its aftermath also led to "an increased use of licit and illicit psychoactive substances."

As reported earlier, WHO experts predicted that more than 8.5 million Ukrainians are at risk of developing mental disorders such as depression and war-related post-traumatic stress.