From October 21 to 24, 2025, A. Lavrenko and M. Kulish, representatives of Poltava State Medical University, took part in an important event — the first stage of the mhGAP (Mental Health Gap Action Programme). The in-person training was implemented with the support of the World Health Organization, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, and the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program initiated by Olena Zelenska, “How Are You?”
Participants of the training included professionals from various fields — general practitioners (family medicine), therapists, cardiologists, rheumatologists, obstetricians, gynecologists, pharmacists, as well as lecturers from higher education institutions and medical colleges from different cities of Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Kropyvnytskyi.
Together with mhGAP trainers Valeriia Sodolevska and Marianna Semianiv, the participants explored the key principles of care and clinical practice in managing patients with stress, depression, psychoses, epilepsy, dementia, and disorders related to the use of psychoactive substances, among others. Special attention was also given to developing basic self-care and stress management skills.
The event became another step toward the systemic integration of mental health topics into medical education, aimed at preparing future professionals capable of effectively responding to the challenges of the modern healthcare system.