Ukraine refugee psychological wellbeing pack: guidance for services

General key principles

To support the needs of Ukrainians arriving in Scotland, three key groups of people will need to be carefully thought of when considering Psychological Wellbeing. These groups are:

• arrivals, both adults and children;
• host families/people, both adults and children; and
• interpreters, professionals and volunteers providing support to arrivals.

Evidence tells us that people are more likely to be able to psychologically cope with, and recover from, trauma, if they:

• feel safe and are in calm supportive environments;
• have access to practical social, physical, and emotional support; and
• feel able to help themselves, as individuals and communities.

Different kinds of crises affect people in different ways, and there's a wide range of responses that people can have. Most often people respond with resilience and in ways that are designed to protect themselves and loved ones. Some people may also want to manage difficult things on their own, or find help from others that they seek out themselves. However, if someone is distressed, the first line approach is to use Psychological First Aid and also to use a Trauma Informed Framework.