“We are helping to break the taboo by saying: It’s OK to seek help.”

Ms. Ivanova, how does krisenchat work?

The Ukrainian crisis chat is like an emergency room, but for psychological help. Those seeking support write to us in the chat and are usually assigned a conversation within a few minutes. Our goal is to help people in acute crisis situations immediately.

What does your typical working day look like?

My shifts are flexible – sometimes during the day, sometimes in the middle of the night. Because the work is so intense, each shift lasts a maximum of two hours. We deal with serious issues such as self-harm, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or suicidal thoughts. During the shifts, I am constantly online to be able to respond immediately when someone writes.

How does a chat work?

We always start with the same question: “How can I help you?” After that, we ask for a name so that we can identify the person. The name does not have to be real. We also record the person’s age and – especially important in Ukraine – whether the person is safe. After that, we dive straight into the problems. The conversations are deep and intense and often last an hour or more – even if the chats are for initial psychological support. In serious cases, we explain to those seeking help where they can get professional care and refer them on.

What are the concerns and fears that most often make people turn to the crisis chat for help?

The topics are as diverse as the people who turn to us, but war is always a recurring theme. Children often talk about bullying, especially if they have to start their lives over after fleeing. Young people struggle with questions of identity or sexual orientation, topics that are often still stigmatized in Ukraine. Adults, on the other hand, report loneliness, difficulties in adapting, or the constant fear of bomb attacks.

Do soldiers also turn to krisenchat?

Yes, increasingly so. For them, krisenchat is often the only way to get help. As they literally have us in their pockets through their mobile phones, we are available at all times. I have had many conversations with soldiers who contact us during their night shifts. One soldier wrote about her strong suicidal thoughts. She felt surrounded by darkness and death and had a weapon on her. It was a real crisis, but she kept writing and stayed in touch with me. These conversations are particularly intense, but also incredibly important.

Have the topics changed over time?

Until early 2024, it was often about the separation caused by the war – for example, “My wife is abroad, I miss her.” These conversations have become less common now, perhaps because many couples could no longer bear the strain and have since separated. Today, it is more often about despair and hopelessness, triggered by the feeling that the war will never end.

How do you and your colleagues cope with the emotional burden of this work?

It is extremely challenging, even for us, who are all professional psychologists. We help each other in the team through regular supervision, peer meetings, and by sharing experiences. I myself am also in psychotherapy. That helps me to switch between roles and recharge my batteries.

Mental illness is still a taboo subject. Can krisenchat help to break this taboo?

Yes, and that is one of the most important aspects of our work. People often write to us saying that a friend recommended us. This word-of-mouth recommendation shows that mental illness is slowly becoming less of a taboo subject. And we are helping to break the taboo by saying, “It’s OK to seek help.”

Would krisenchat still be needed if the war were to end soon?

I believe that our work will be needed for a long time to come because there are so many cases of PTSD. It affects people who have to readapt to a normal life, such as returning soldiers or injured people. Right now, we are dealing with the direct consequences of the war. But when it ends at some point, new challenges will arise. There will be people who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the war, who are angry at the world. All these are conflicts that could trigger collective traumatization in the future, as happened after World War II or the collapse of the Soviet Union. To prevent this from happening, psychological services must be better supported financially – and made freely available.

The funding of these kinds of services is important for planning security. How do you see the future in this regard?

I am concerned because the willingness to donate to Ukraine is declining worldwide, while the need for fast and free psychological support continues to grow. Without partners to support us, we cannot go on. Of course, our goal is to continue to be there for people – now and in the future. That’s why we’ll keep going as long as we can.

Funding is one thing, but you also need qualified personnel. Are there enough trained psychologists in Ukraine to meet this enormous demand in the future?

I am optimistic about the number. As a professor at the Kyiv Institute of Modern Psychology and Psychotherapy, I see that many young people today want to study psychology. But the problem is again the financing: psychological services need better financial support, otherwise they will remain out of reach for many. And we, as a society, cannot afford that. Of course, there are networks and organizations that offer support. But that is not nearly enough for everyone.