This talk by Sarah Eisenberg consolidates research about refugee mental health in the aftermath of the current Russo-Ukrainian War with prior epidemiological findings concerning mental health challenges in Ukraine, such as high suicidality, elevated alcohol dependence, and concerning rates of internalizing disorders. She encourages diverse stakeholders - researchers, psychologists, health officials, and humanitarian aid organizations - to heed pre-war mental health trends in Ukraine when supporting refugees. Her research begins with anecdotal reports from her service work at a Ukrainian community center in Barcelona, Spain during the summer 2023. It then introduces the field of refugee mental health and trauma-informed insights into the migrant experience. Her discussion overviews early research on Ukrainian asylum seekers’ needs along with extensive efforts to reform the nation’s psychological services before 2022. She investigates reports from the World Health Organization, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, local and global nonprofits, and clinical researchers. After analyzing urgent mental health interventions in Ukraine before the war, Sarah evaluates modern-day approaches to refugee care. Her discussion ends by summarizing future directions in refugee mental health care that attend to both historical and ongoing conditions in Ukraine.
Sarah Eisenberg (she/hers) is a senior in Saybrook College studying Psychology and Comparative Literature. She is a proud New Yorker (from South Brooklyn!) who loves to dance, write, and learn new languages. She is pursuing a career in clinical psychology and works under Professor Carla Stover at the Yale University School of Medicine Child Study Center to deliver and test Fathers for Change, a novel fatherhood-focused intervention for Intimate Partner Violence and substance misuse. After graduation, Sarah hopes to gain research experience in refugee psychology and trauma-informed care.