We are used to seeing healthcare workers as the ones who hold everything together — even during shelling, after sleepless shifts, and despite personal losses. They continue to comfort others while living under constant stress themselves.

But when their shifts end, healthcare workers do not leave the war behind. They return to the same realities: apartments without electricity, air raid sirens in the middle of the night, news of shelling in their hometowns, children afraid to fall asleep, parents living under occupation, chronic fatigue, and emotional exhaustion.

Today, Ukrainian healthcare workers are people who simultaneously save others while trying to keep their own lives from falling apart.

That is why supporting the mental health of medical workers has become not only a matter of personal well-being but also a matter of resilience for the entire healthcare system.

From January to May 2026, ZDOROVI, with the support of Americares, implemented the Stronger Together project in Ukraine — an initiative aimed at providing psychological support to healthcare workers and healthcare facility administrators.

A total of 990 people participated in the program — including 788 healthcare workers and 202 healthcare facility executives.

As part of the Stronger Together project, 180 individual consultations and 60 group psychological sessions were conducted for participants. In addition, educational materials on burnout prevention and psychological self-care were developed.

But the true value of the project cannot be measured by statistics alone. Each participant came with their own experiences of loss, exhaustion, and uncertainty, and the conversations during the sessions revealed just how urgently healthcare workers today need a space for support, recovery, and the opportunity not only to help others, but also to receive help themselves.

“Why did I Start Snapping at My Colleagues?”

Another participant, Liudmyla*, an epidemiologist with many years of experience, sought psychological support due to sudden outbursts of aggression at work.

For years, she had been taking on excessive responsibility, rarely saying no to colleagues, and trying to keep everything under control. Under wartime conditions, this pattern gradually led to emotional exhaustion.

She described her condition as a constant buildup of internal tension, which eventually began to manifest in conflicts and sharp emotional reactions. She was afraid of losing her authority within the team and did not understand why she could no longer control her emotions.

During the consultation, psychologists worked with her on professional burnout, personal boundaries, and assertive communication skills.

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War Exacerbates Existing Conflicts

Project psychologists note that war not only creates new traumas but also intensifies unresolved internal conflicts that people have been postponing for years.

Galyna*, a 35-year-old doctor, sought help due to persistent insomnia, anxiety, and a sense of inner confusion. She felt pressure from societal expectations regarding motherhood while simultaneously fearing she would lose her professional fulfillment and personal freedom.

Her condition gradually began to affect both her relationship with her husband and the quality of her work.

Through psychological counseling, her acute anxiety was reduced, and she was helped to step out of “tunnel vision” and recognize that life does not have to be built on the principle of “either career or family.”

Another case involved Nataliia*, a 57-year-old doctor who had long centered her entire life around her adult son. She perceived any attempt by him to gain independence as betrayal and ingratitude.

According to psychologists, in wartime conditions, the fear of loneliness and loss of control often becomes significantly stronger. People may cling more tightly to loved ones, sometimes at the expense of personal boundaries.

The first important shift for this participant was recognizing the difference between care and control.

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Why Such Projects Are Critically Needed

The stories of Stronger Together participants show that Ukrainian healthcare professionals are currently living in a state of constant exhaustion. Staff shortages, excessive workloads, air raid alerts, personal losses, and daily exposure to others’ suffering have become the new normal for many.

In the medical community, people still rarely talk about their own vulnerability. Doctors and nurses are used to being the ones who support others, but not themselves.

That is precisely why even short-term psychological support within the project produced noticeable results. Participants reported reduced stress, improved emotional self-regulation, increased awareness of burnout symptoms, and greater confidence in communication with patients and colleagues. Many also noted a shift in their attitudes toward seeking psychological help. For many, this was the first experience that helped them overcome internal stigma and view psychological support as a normal and necessary part of self-care.

But perhaps the most important outcome was the space itself — a safe, non-judgmental environment where, for the first time in a long while, participants could speak not as healthcare professionals, but as human beings.

The high level of engagement and the demand to continue the initiative further confirm that psychosocial support for healthcare workers in Ukraine today is a crucial condition for the functioning of the healthcare system as a whole.

*All names have been changed to protect the anonymity of participants; any similarities are coincidental.