The World Association of Cultural Psychiatry (WACP) condemns all non-defensive military actions and has a longstanding concern for the mental health and wellbeing of migrants and refugees, including those fleeing conflict areas. In the last decades, many military conflicts have resulted in terrible loss of life and dislocations among civilian populations around the world.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the most recent. Over the last few weeks, several million refugees, largely women and children, have fled from Ukraine or been displaced within the country. Thousands of casualties have been recorded and the destruction of cities has been catastrophic. This is expected to result in hundreds of thousands of individuals who will suffer from anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, psychotic states, and suicidal ideation and behaviors. The effects on children and adolescents will be particularly severe. Further, many refugees face additional challenges of racism and discrimination.
WACP condemns all acts of killing, violence, and destruction inflicted on the peoples of Ukraine in this conflict and calls for the immediate cessation of all hostilities.
We also call on our members around the world and all mental health colleagues to provide culturally competent professional help and humanitarian assistance to the refugees and migrants displaced by this conflict and by other conflicts around the world.
The following resources on the care of migrants and refugees may be of help:
The World Mental Health Fact Sheet on Mental Health and Forced Displacement:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-and-forced-displacement
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Portal for Refugees & Asylum Seekers: https://www.uel.ac.uk/our-research/research-school-psychology/refugee-mental-health- wellbeing-portal
WCPRR:https://usercontent.one/wp/www.worldculturalpsychiatry.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/8.-
Careif-Position-statement-on-Migration-and-Mental-Health.final.pdf?media=1645571425
The Royal Society for Public Health Geopolitical Determinants of Health: https://youtu.be/sUWn4-nllrM
The Officers and Board of Directors of the World Association of Cultural Psychiatry