In this issue, France24's "Reporter" program talks about the impact of the war on the mental health of the Ukrainian population, especially the military who are fighting at the front. The conflict is already leaving consequences such as post-traumatic stress and anxiety, and society is facing difficulties in dealing with these problems due to the Soviet legacy.

The program includes an interview with the director of the EXPIO center, V. L. Matrenytskyi.

In the video settings (gear), select Subtitulos – Traducion automatico – Ukrainano.

https://www.france24.com/es/programas/reporteros/20231212-guerra-en-ucrania-la-salud-mental-en-juego

Psilocybin, MDMA and LSD began to be used for the treatment of mental disorders in world therapy as early as the 70s of the last century. These substances are still prohibited in Ukraine. And for the treatment of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), more traditional methods are used - psychotherapy and antidepressants.

Part of the people who do not manage to recover thanks to these methods could be helped by psychedelic-assisted therapy, which is currently little known in Ukraine. However, among psychedelic substances, only ketamine is currently approved for such treatment.

What is ketamine therapy and how to treat mental disorders with its help - in the hromadske material.

https://hromadske.ua/posts/bachiv-usih-zagiblih-pobratimiv-yak-ketaminova-terapiya-dopomagaye-dolati-naslidki-vijni

Photo: public TV

Silence that can cost a life!
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that 85 percent of women worldwide suffer from some type of postpartum mood disorder. Of these, 10-15% of women suffer from clinical postpartum depression and 0.1-0.2% from postpartum psychosis.

Unfortunately, there are no statistics on postpartum depression in Ukraine, but this does not mean that the problem does not exist. In addition, the war further increased the psychological and emotional stress of women in labor.

What is postpartum depression, how to recognize it?

Eating disorders are a group of symptoms that are associated with disordered eating and its quantity. Such conditions are accompanied by a large number of physical health complications and can trouble a person for many years. For example, there is a risk of developing amenorrhea, osteoporosis, dehydration, impaired heart and kidney function, problems with the digestive system, impaired dental integrity, deep deficiencies of trace elements, insulin and leptin resistance, infertility. And, unfortunately, the list can be continued.

An eating disorder begins when we become obsessed with body image and the food we eat. A person with an eating disorder has:
● chronic diets, despite being dangerously underweight
● constant fluctuations in body weight
● obsession with calories and fat content in foods
● ritual patterns of eating food, including cutting it into tiny pieces, eating alone and/or hiding food
● excessive fixation on recipes or cooking, refusing to taste
● avoidance of family, friends and any involvement in society
● alternating periods of overeating and starvation, etc

Unfortunately, statistics indicate that a person dies every hour from this disease in the world, and every 4th person with RPH pushes himself to commit suicide.

The article "Impact (Concepts) of Depression Treatment Difficulties: A Review of Opinions" reveals the wide-ranging impact that depression treatment difficulties have on the lives and well-being of those who experience this illness. This is an opinion piece published in the journal “International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology", which enlightens us about the complexities that patients and medical professionals face in dealing with this serious condition.

The article provides insight into the challenges of treating depression that does not respond to standard therapies. It addresses the concept of treatment difficulties in depression, which encompasses situations where patients do not get relief from traditional antidepressants and other forms of treatment. This causes serious problems for patients as they may experience hopelessness, disintegration and loss of quality of life.

The article notes that the difficulties in treating depression may be due to many factors, including biological, psychological and social aspects. Be it genetic factors, chemical imbalances in the brain, or personal factors such as a history of trauma or stress, this article helps us understand that depression is a complex illness that requires an individualized approach to treatment.

Considerable attention is paid in the article to the impact of the difficulties of treating depression on the well-being of patients and their mental well-being. Patients who do not respond to standard treatments can feel excluded, forgotten, and hopeless. This can lead to worsening of depressive symptoms and increased risk of suicide. The article points to the need for understanding and support for patients with treatment difficulties, as well as the development of new approaches to the treatment of depression.

The review also examines the role of new therapeutic strategies, including the use of ketamine, in the management of treatment difficulties in depression. Ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant, has shown promise in reducing depressive symptoms and improving mood in patients unresponsive to other treatments. This opens the door to new possibilities and advances in the treatment of depression treatment difficulties.

In conclusion, the article highlights the need for greater understanding and support for patients struggling to manage depression. She calls for further research and development of new therapeutic approaches that can change the lives of patients and bring new hope to those who have repeatedly experienced disappointment in the treatment of depression.

Ketamine has been used in medicine and veterinary medicine for decades as an anesthetic and pain reliever, but for some Albertans, the dissociative drug has become a savior in the fight against depression and other mental health problems.

"He literally changed my life," says Cassandra Walker, who suffered from depression for most of her teenage years and throughout her adult life. "I was a person who couldn't get out of bed, woke up in the morning with paralyzing anxiety and almost couldn't explain why."

A woman from Spruce Grove said that her life was like a roller coaster of trials of different drugs, endless visits to doctors, intensive psychotherapy and counseling: “When I was at the height, I visited (my therapist) one to two times a week ". Further…

Somatic (physical) health is the most important component in the complex structure of human health. This state of the organism is characterized by the adaptive possibilities of adaptation to various environmental factors, the level of physical development, the functional and physical readiness of the organism to perform physical exercises. It is determined by the body's ability to self-regulate.

Psychologists distinguish such concepts as "mental health" and "psychological health" for the purpose of clarification. The first is connected with individual mental processes and mechanisms, and the second with the individual in general and in close connection with the highest manifestations of the human spirit. According to many authors, a close relationship between these concepts is shown, for example, at three levels of health: psychophysiological, individual-psychological, and personal. Further…

An article by the director of the Expio Center V.L. Matrenitsky "Psychotrauma of diagnosis, distress and depression in patients as factors in the progression of cancer, methods for their prevention and therapy” published in the journal “Clinical Oncology”, No. 1-2 for 2020.