Supporting Ukrainian refugees in Hungary through innovative mental health approaches
Supporting Ukrainian refugees in Hungary through innovative mental health approaches
Dr. Lilla Hárdi is an expert in the rehabilitation of survivors of torture and abuse and works with asylum seekers and refugees in Hungary.
Dr. Lilla Hárdi, an award-winning psychiatrist based in Budapest, Hungary, has been providing counselling and psychosocial support to refugees from Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale war in February 2022. She is an expert in the rehabilitation of survivors of torture and abuse, and works as the director of the Cordelia Foundation, one of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency’s partner organisations in Hungary.
As the war rages on into its third year, Dr. Hárdi says that refugees who have been arriving in Hungary in recent months are suffering from more severe distress and mental health conditions after having lived in a country under prolonged war.
“The Ukrainian refugees who have been living in Hungary for an extended time also face emotional and mental distress and challenges. They are now safe in their host country, but they continue to receive disturbing news from home about the safety of their families and other relatives,” Dr. Hárdi says.
In many cases, the husbands, fathers, brothers and sons who stayed behind in Ukraine are fighting on the frontlines. According to Dr. Hárdi, this situation is incredibly stressful for their families, who cannot stop worrying about them.
Those who have sadly lost loved ones during the war are not always able to go through the therapeutic process of healing despite the support from Dr. Hárdi and her colleagues, as their thoughts continue to be preoccupied with troubling news and they naturally worry about the situation in Ukraine.
“When a person learns, for instance, his or her home was bombed and levelled to the ground - no matter how long they have been away from home - they also experience deep despair,” she says.
As time passes and the war continues, some refugees are losing hope of returning to their homes. “For many, this hope is an extremely important link to their previous lives and what they were forced to leave behind. When they lose this hope of repatriation, they feel that they have lost everything,” she adds.
Two years after the full-scale war in Ukraine, some 65,000 refugees from Ukraine reside in Hungary.
She also explains that when refugees arrive in a new country, the first thing they need is to secure a roof over their heads. Oftentimes they cannot afford to spend weeks or even months trying to find the best accommodation, which can directly impact their mental health and well-being.
“They [refugees] usually take what accommodation is available right away. All this adds to the overwhelming sense of uncertainty, to the feeling that everything around them is transitory. It is critically important they are able to find some stability as soon as possible. Decent and meaningful employment as well as stable long-term accommodation are definitely key elements contributing to the process of stability,” Dr. Hárdi says.
As for strategies to support newly arrived refugees, she favours adopting community-based approaches as well as non-verbal therapeutic methods that use art and music. “After living more than two years in a war-torn country and surviving unspeakable atrocities and horrors, it can be difficult to articulate their feelings,” she says. “Through music and art, we can reach these families, and start the long and necessary process of healing.”
Ukrainian refugee children Yuliya (pink jumper) and Maria (floral dress) are in an animal therapy session at the UNHCR-supported Budapest Helps! community centre in Hungary. Noir, the dog, is specially trained to calm the children.
Animal therapy is also one of the various relaxing activities provided to refugees at the Budapest Helps! Info and Community Centre, a joint venture between the Budapest Municipality, UNHCR and other international organizations.
UNHCR Hungary has been working with the Cordelia Foundation since its inception in 1996. The Foundation is an initiative of Dr. Hárdi to provide mental health treatment and psychosocial support for asylum seekers, refugees and their family members arriving in Hungary. Her team also offers training and consultation for professionals who work with refugees.
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