Kyiv, Ukraine, April 29, 2026 — Data drawn from more than 5,000 psychological consultations provided by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) over the past year and into early 2026 reveals the devastating impact of prolonged conflict on mental health in Ukraine. Ukrainians’ ability to manage stress and carry out daily activities has deteriorated sharply, with most adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression.
- An estimated 15 million people in Ukraine need psychological support today.
- 60% of those seeking support are battling anxiety, and one in five is struggling with depression.
- Around 80% of those in need are aged over 40, including many over 60 - groups with fewer mobility options and a heightened risk of isolation, chronic health problems, and loss.
The cumulative impact of the war, worsened by a particularly harsh winter Ukrainians have just endured and the lack of any real relief with the arrival of spring, continues to erode families’ ability to cope and manage daily life. Many people have been forced to cut back on essential needs such as medication, a trade‑off that directly increases psychological strain. Most individuals seek mental‑health support in response to war‑ and health‑related stress, followed by the traumatic effects of explosions, financial hardship, displacement, and the compounded burden of loss and grief. IRC teams are seeing mostly women seek help, as stigma continues to prevent many men from coming forward for psychological support.
Marharyta Zhulieva, IRC’s Psychologist, says:
“People continue to live with deep anxiety about the overall situation in the country - uncertain about the future and unable to plan ahead. When people are cut off for days at a time, the isolation breeds a profound loneliness that drains their life energy. And at times, this collective strain becomes a kind of mass stress, especially when neighbours learn of the loss of someone from their own community.”
Dr. Hazim Mostafa, IRC's Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Specialist in Ukraine, adds:
“The worsening mental health across Ukraine is being driven by the prolonged conflict and people’s collapsing ability to cope. Older people are increasingly affected, while access to effective psychological support remains far below the scale of need.
“IRC teams report that people in Ukraine are no longer seeking one-off crisis assistance - they require long-term, specialised care. Over the past year, we have seen a significant shift: the mental health burden is no longer concentrated among displaced people but is now deeply embedded across the entire population. Stressors also evolve over time, with early year grief giving way to financial distress, showing how prolonged war steadily erodes resilience and creates new layers of hardship.”
IRC calls on donors to continue investing in mental health in Ukraine to strengthen accessible, community‑based psychosocial support by integrating mental health assistance across other humanitarian services, reaching vulnerable and underserved groups, and ensuring sustained care for affected families and frontline responders.