The Ministry of Defence has prepared new support model: civilian psychologists will be involved in the psychological recovery of military personnel

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine is actively working to establish a clear and effective system of psychological support for service members, recognising that mental resilience is just as vital as proper equipment or reliable weapons.

“We want the care for our military personnel to be systematic and long-term – not only while they are on the front lines, but also after they return home. The support system operates at five levels and covers all stages of military service – from the first day to the return to civilian life,” said Colonel Oleh Mukan, Head of the MoD’s Department for Psychological Support.

The psychological support and recovery system includes:

1. Self-help and ‘peer-to-peer’ support – when comrades assist each other
2. Assistance within units (company or battalions) – provided bypsychological support officers
3. Recovery at the brigade or regiment level (combat stress control groups and psychological support and recovery groups) – in designated psychological support centres
4. Professional assistance in the rear, provided by specialized institutions
5. In-depth psychological recovery in treatment facilities outside combat zones.

To ensure the system functions properly, the MoD’s Department for Psychological Support has prepared a draft order “On the Approval of the Procedure for Providing Psychological Assistance to Military Personnel within the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine System”. 

This document will serve as a roadmap for specialists working with military personnel and will help our defenders return to emotional stability more quickly. In particular, its implementation will enable psychological services in military units to gain autonomy and authority in a unified multi-level system of psychological support. This will strengthen their ability to operate in wartime conditions and reduce the burden on the medical system. 

The document also regulates the organisation of psychological assistance in line with NATO standards and incorporates the experience gained by the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s psychological services during the war. 

The project clearly defines:

• what forces and resources may be involved in providing psychological assistance
• the procedure for involving civilian psychologists
• the use of resources  of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs
• definition of types of psychological assistance and how they are to be implemented in practice.