Healing Ukraine's Hidden Wounds: AI and Women's Organizations Offer Hope

 As Ukraine marks the somber third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2025, this unprovoked and brutal war continues to exact a brutal toll, including on women and girls. As a war correspondent who has witnessed the devastation firsthand, I've seen the unprecedented challenges they face and the resilience they demonstrate daily.

The Mental Health Crisis in Ukraine

The scale of the mental health crisis in Ukraine is staggering. Government estimates suggest that up to 15 million Ukrainians are experiencing mental health issues severe enough to interfere with their daily lives. In my work covering war crimes, I've met countless individuals enduring insomnia, panic attacks, depression, anxiety, and a host of other debilitating mental health conditions.

 A Young Girl's Story

I'll never forget meeting 14-year-old Darya Bondarenko in a police station near Kyiv. She had witnessed Russian soldiers gun down her father and stepmother in Bucha. Her parents had been visiting her godmother, and random soldiers simply fired their machine guns and murdered them. She had watched them bleed out. As she recounted her horrific experience, I couldn't help noticing that her voice was monotone. She often referred to the events as if they had happened to someone else.

I'm no psychologist, but I hang out with psychologists, and even I could tell that Darya was dissociating. People who are suffering from severe disassociation and who don’t have counseling are at severe risk for self-medicating with drugs or alcohol.  After spending half an hour with this young girl and hearing her story, I had become fond of her and couldn’t bear the thought of her problem becoming even worse if she became addicted.

When I asked the police translator, Irina Tkach, if Darya would be getting the counseling she so clearly needed, Tkach's response was heartbreaking: "Unfortunately, there are millions of individuals here who have endured similarly difficult situations. This is happening on such a scale that the chances of counseling for her are slim. She's on her own."

Shortage of Mental Health Support

Ukraine faces a critical shortage of mental health professionals. It’s hard to get definitive figures but I’ve heard that Ukraine has less than 1/25th the number of therapists  per capita that we do in the United States. As of now, the mental health support is not at the scale needed to match the need.

Innovative Solutions: Mental Help Global

Haunted by Darya's situation and what I’ve seen in other female victims of war crimes I’ve interviewed, I began to wonder if using Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT could help people in need of mental health support. This idea led to the formation of Mental Help Global (MHG), a non-profit aiming to provide additional mental health support to Ukrainians using artificial intelligence and available 24/7 at no cost.

The goal is to use a ChatGPT-type artificial intelligence tool to help address the gap in Ukraine between the number of mental health professionals and the needs of the Ukrainian people.  It’s currently being carried out on a pilot basis in Kyiv at the American University Kyiv.  The AI bot is trained on materials that Ukrainian mental health professionals have evaluated as being both accurate and culturally sensitive.

While not a replacement for professional therapy, MHG can serve as an accessible first point of support. It can offer psychoeducation, self-help strategies, and crisis intervention techniques that align with Ukrainian professional standards.  It also guides users on when and how to seek in-person professional help.

This month it’s starting out as a pilot with small groups, and is supervised by Ukrainian mental health practitioners.  We expect to learn from the pilots, make adjustments and corrections, and gradually roll out Mental Help Global to larger and larger groups. We don’t expect it to cure debilitating mental health conditions, but from what I’ve seen in Ukraine, when people receive guidance and learn helpful techniques for managing issues like insomnia or panic attacks, life often becomes a bit easier for them.

The Crucial Role of Women-Led Organizations

As Ukraine grapples with the ongoing conflict and its aftermath, I believe that funds like the United Nations Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) play a vital role. Funds like WPHF, which is supporting and investing in women in conflict areas, is crucial. These initiatives are essential for addressing the unique challenges faced by women and girls, who often bear a disproportionate burden during times of war.

Looking Forward

As Ukraine enters its fourth year of conflict, the need for comprehensive mental health support and targeted assistance for women and girls remains critical. Innovative approaches like MHG, combined with the continued support of organizations like WPHF, offer hope for addressing the immense challenges faced by Ukrainians, particularly women and girls. The road to recovery will be long. The effects of war extend far beyond the battlefield, and supporting mental health and empowering women are essential components of Ukraine's path to recovery and resilience.